Top 10 Notes About Game One of the Phillies-Yankees World Series

10) Writing a notes column on a game and night like this is downright tricky. Do you refuse to write the lede ahead of time, knowing that baseball has no clock and if it turns, you will blame yourself for the jinx? Or do you wallow in the good fortune and trust that the man who has taken you this far, all the while looking like he’s working against minor leaguers in Florida in March, will just close it out, and have a little freaking faith?

The answer, of course, is the former, because you are a Philly Fan, and Philly Fan has seen much that has been unfortunate. But the temptation was immense, and the Man Crush on Cliff Lee has reached Can’t Be Believed levels. The man’s making Schilling ’93 and Hamels ’08 look like batting practice.

9) Here’s the problem with baseball in a nutshell. Tonight, we had two pitchers who had a minimum of baserunners and worked quickly. The game didn’t ever get out of hand, and the offense was mostly contained to a few innings. One team never changed its starting pitcher. And yet, at the start of the eighth inning, we were still more than 2:20 into the game, which is to say, what it should take to play nine, not seven — and the whole thing didn’t wrap until 3:30.

Don’t blame the players; blame the networks, for just jamming in tons of extra ads — nearly twice as many as a normal game. If there’s a short term gain to be made from long term damage, MLB will always, always make that trade.

8) With one out in the sixth, Lee caught a pop up from Johnny Damon with less interest than you might show in scratching your nose. The next hitter (Mark Teixiera, who usually involves a little more worry from the pitcher) then dribbled out to Utley at second to close the inning. With one out in the seventh, he got Jorge Posada to tap out to the mound, and tagged him on the ass. With nobody on in the eighth, he retired Robinson Cano on a comebacker behind his back.

Has a starting pitcher ever been this good and seemed more bored?

(Oh, and postgame, he’s just standing on the field shrugging, whereas most guys are running for the showers and putting ice on their shoulders. I’m pretty sure he’s going to go celebrate with a nap.)

7) Is anyone else shocked at the sight of back to back nights with baseball games? C’mon, MLB — why so much so soon? We need more off days!

6) I’m not normally a fan of sacrifice bunts, but when you are trying to stretch out the pitch count of a #1 starter, and have a first pitch (not so much) hitter like Pedro Feliz at the plate… well, let’s just say a fast inning wasn’t helpful in the seventh. The bottom of the lineup is going to have to be better than that if the Fightin’s are going to win this series. (But then again, since the Yankees insist on their 7th inning hootenanny, maybe a fast inning actually kept Lee on pace.)

5) With Utley’s two bombs to right and Rollins nearly getting there in the eighth, the thought comes to mind… just how much does this Phillies team enjoy Yankee Stadium? The power is mostly left-handed, and the porch to right is short. Kinda helpful, really.

4) Why do advertisers not realize that high frequency ads during closely watched sporting events drive the audience insane and hurt their brand? I’m looking at you, DirecTV. And you do this every damn year.

3) A very long eighth inning could have ended with real deflation and worry that Lee would have rested too long… but instead, Raul Ibanez bounced a 2-strike single through the hole to right, and suddenly the 2-0 lead was doubled, and Yankee Fan seemed to make for the subway. Just huge, and took things out of the realm of a bloop and a blast. The extra two runs in the ninth were helpful, too.

2) The Phillies really need to stop throwing the ball into the dugout on double play balls. That’s something like the third time this postseason, and it ended the shutout.

1) Lee, on his 118th pitch of the night, struck out Alex Rodriguez, and I’m pretty much assuming that there weren’t enough fans left in the stands to boo him. Fox then had him throwing 99 to Posada, which is of course an error, but hey, it’s Fox — they’re prone to hyperbole. Lee then bent Posada into the ground for the closing strikeout, and my heavens, what a performance. Just complete and utter domination.

Oh, and there was actually some debate on Twitter as to whether Lee should have been allowed to pitch the ninth, given his pitch count. He had the first 10 Ks and 0 walk game in a World Series since, gulp, 1903. Yeah, I’m thinking he deserved to finish.

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The Two-Part, Turnpike World Series Preview

Finally, after 4,860 games from 30 teams, we have the World Series that we had all hoped for. We have the two juggernauts of baseball. The two cities, separated by 26 exits of Turnpike through the great state of New Jersey, will indeed give us the World Series that we could only wish for at the beginning of the season.

Now this World Series preview is going to be a two-part piece, courtesy of the two most entertaining, unknown sports blogs this side of the Toms River. I am going to give you the Phillies‘ preview and why they can win this series. My colleague over at Chit-Chat Sports, Mr. Tom DeRiggi (a die-hard Yankee fan) has humbily agreed to give you the New York side of the series.

To see how the Yankees could pull off an upset victory, go over to Chit-Chat Sports for an excellent and entertaining Yankees preview.

No, they don’t have the payroll the Yankees do. Matter of fact, their team salary is about $100 million less.

No, they don’t have the championship pedigree that the Yankees do, either. Even though the Phillies franchise has been around 29 more years than the Yankees franchise, New York has 24 more World Series championships.

Even this year, the Yankees had more wins (103 compared to Philadelphia’s 93).

Alas, don’t let these numbers fool you. If anyone can beat this New York Yankees team, it is these Philadelphia Phillies.

May 22-24, the Phillies and the Yankees squared away in New York for a three-game Interleague series. Philadelphia won the series 2-1, and would have swept had it not been for the perfect storm of another Brad Lidge meltdown and another New York Yankees magical walk-off win.

The Yankees have a potent lineup, I can’t argue that. But the Phillies have the offensive firepower and versatility to stand toe-to-toe with New York and challenge them.

At the top of the order, the Phillies have a ton of speed (not something the Yankees have much of). Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino wreck havoc on the base paths. Together, they combined for 18 triples (Victorino led the majors with 13) and 56 stolen bases (Rollins was tied for tenth in the majors with 31), while only being caught stealing 16 times. Chase Utley and Jayson Werth also run the bases extremely well, each stealing at least 20 bases.

Then there is the power in the middle of the lineup. The Phillies were the only team to have four players hit for 30 or more home runs apiece: Ryan Howard (45), Werth (36), Raul Ibanez (34), and Utley (31). For extra measure, Rollins also hit 21 dingers.

This is also a team rallying behind tragedy. Last season, manager Charlie Manuel’s mother and Victorino’s grandmother both died during the team’s postseason run. The players got behind their fallen teammates, supported them, and used it as further motivation to win it all, playing in honor of their fallen loved ones.

This season, the Phillies suffered another tragedy, one that touched the whole organization. In April, longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas collapsed in the booth and died. Since then, with a black “HK” patch sewn on their jerseys above their hearts, the Phillies have been playing in his honor. A common phrase from fans has been “Do it for Harry.”

The Yankees have home-field advantage in the series. That won’t bother Philadelphia. They were tied for the best road record in the majors, with a record of 48-33 away from home.

The Phillies have two starting pitchers that have performed extremely well in the World Series. Game Two starter Pedro Martinez is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in the October Classic, and Cole Hamels, the Game Three likely starter, was last year’s World Series MVP.

New York’s Game One starter was dominant in the playoffs last year. Too bad the Phillies owned him when they faced him in the NLDS as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. Sabathia lasted only 3.2 innings, giving up six hits, four walks, and five runs. Lowlights included walking pitcher Brett Myers and giving up a grand slam to Shane Victorino.

The Phillies have a certain swagger to them. It isn’t cockiness, it’s confidence. They proved that they are a team that lives for big moments, not one that cowers when the lights shine bright. They will not be intimidated by the enormous new Yankee Stadium, or the history that goes with being a member of the blue pinstripes. This team is able to separate themselves from all of the outside hoopla and just play good baseball.

The Phillies players have confidence in themselves and their teammates. Everybody knows what their role is. Everyone is held to the same standard of play, from NLCS MVP Howard to reserve utililty player Eric Bruntlett (who scored the game-winning run in two of Philadelphia’s victories in the ’08 World Series).

They are able to slow the game down. They don’t see the game in nine innings. They see it in one single pitch. Each play is magnified so that they can get the most out of it. This allows them to not get too ahead of themselves or too far in over their heads. Instead, they are able to relax and come up big no matter how late in the game it is or how many runs they are down by.

Each pitch is unique, and the team doesn’t feel the anxiety. It’s how you wind up with the dramatic 5-4 walk-off win that the Phillies pulled off with two outs in Game Four of the NLCS to beat the Dodgers and go up 3-1 in the series.

Most importantly, they show why having such good clubhouse chemistry is important. Nine key players were homegrown talents that played together in the minors before reaching the big leagues: Howard, Utley, Rollins, catcher Carlos Ruiz, and pitchers Hamels, Ryan Madson, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ, and Antonio Bastardo. They took that core, developed them, and then built around them with guys like Werth , Victorino, and Cliff Lee.

The guys have played together for so long that they’ve built good relationships with each other and want to win not only for themselves, but for the guy next to them. They don’t want to let everyone else down. The relationships are strong, and that makes every player work harder, so that they all can share in success.

It will be a challenging World Series against the team with the best record in the majors and the defending World Series Champions. But the Phillies have the physical talent and the mental tenacity to take home the trophy and be the first team to repeat as champions since the 1998-2000 Yankees.

Prediction: Phillies in seven.

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2009 World Series Preview: Position-by-Position Breakdown

The 2009 World Series has arrived after a long and quite interesting season. Along with the arrival of the Fall Classic comes the World Series buzz and debates on who’s got the edge. The Phillies and the Yankees make great cases for themselves, respectively.

The New York Yankees are trying to get back to their previous state of baseball dominance. Yankees like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte hope to end this decade the way they started it, with a World Series Championship.

But the team is filled with several new faces to the World Series. It will all be up to players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and CC Sabathia not to fall under pressure in their first World Series. 

The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to perform a feat that has not happened since 1976. The Philadelphia Phillies will try and become the first repeat World Series Champion since the 1976 “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds.

But after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series last year, Charlie Manuel will face a much more experienced team in the World Series this year. The Yankees might have many inexperienced players in the World Series, but the Fall Classic is not unfamiliar in the Bronx. The 2009 World Series will be the Yankees’ 40th World Series.

Unlike the New York Mets, the Yankees have a very brief history against the team from Philadelphia. They met in the World Series in 1950, when the Yankees swept the Phillies in four games.

More recently, the Yankees and Phillies faced each other at Yankee Stadium this year. In that best-of-three series the Phillies took two games and the series from the Yankees. The Yankees did win the second game after beating Brad Lidge late in the game. They got Lidge again in the third game, but in extra innings, the Phillies prevailed. 

After a team analysis, lets take a look at how each team fares against the other position by position:

 

Catcher: Jorge Posada (NYY) vs. Carlos Ruiz (PHI)

Jorge Posada has been clutch for the New York Yankees time and time again. He also brings with him a more experienced career in the World Series than Ruiz. But Jorge Posada may not play every World Series game.

AJ Burnett likes Jose Molina to be his personal character, but Molina brings very little if any pop to the line-up. Joe Girardi might make a change in the World Series to benefit his hitting.

Ruiz is a very underrated catcher. Many fans, players, and even coaches don’t expect much out of Ruiz, but he has been very clutch for the Phillies in the World Series. In fact, he could have been named the 2008 World Series MVP. He hit very well last year and that has carried on into this year’s postseason. Ruiz is also a very good defensive catcher. 

Edge: Yankees

 

First-Baseman: Mark Teixeira (NYY) vs. Ryan Howard (PHI)

One of the best first-baseman from the American League goes against one of the best first-baseman from the National League this World Series.

Mark Teixeira has struggled this postseason, but has recently started to get out of his slump. He has five hits with four RBI’s in his last three games.

Ryan Howard is the one batter that brings fear to Yankee fans as they watch the game. He has two home-runs in nine postseason games. Along with those offensive numbers, he has hit when it means the most, because he has 14 RBI’s this year. Proof is also seen in the trophy that he held after winning the NLCS. He earned MVP honors for the NLCS.

Teixeira may be a bit slower with the bat than Howard this postseason, but he has come through clutch with his glove. As a past Gold Glove winner he has bailed the Yankees out of jams in the ALDS against the Twins and in the ALCS against the Angels. Howard doesn’t have that piece of hardware in his collection, which clearly gives Texieira the edge on the defensive side.

Edge: Even

 

Second-Baseman: Robinson Cano (NYY) vs. Chase Utley (PHI)

Chase Utley has made himself the best second-baseman in the major leagues in the last few years. But this year he has slowed down in the playoffs. He has hit .303 and only two RBI’s during this year’s playoffs. Defensively Utley is also pretty good. He can cover a lot of ground for Howard in the right-side of the infield. 

The Dominican second-baseman for the New York Yankees is very underrated as a hitter and as a fielder. During the regular season he looked like a Gold Glover at second-base and he had a break-out year as a hitter. Cano brings power and contact at the bottom of the line-up and is hoping to breakout in his first World Series.

Edge: Phillies

 

Shortstop: Derek Jeter (NYY) vs. Jimmy Rollins (PHI)

This could be one of the most exciting match-ups during the post-season.

During the World Baseball Classic Jimmy Rollins was Derek Jeter’s back-up. Many argue that Rollins and several other shortstops around the league are much better than Derek Jeter.

But that was March and the World Series will carry into November. Who is Mr. November? That’s right it is Derek Jeter and not Rollins. Jeter has been the definition of clutch for the Yankees in the past, but has not tasted one of AJ Burnett’s signature walk-off pies this season. He hopes to do so as he has another chance of defending his title of Mr. November.

Jimmy Rollins has been the loudest player on the Phillies as they head into the World Series. He claims that the Phillies will win the World Series in five games. Rollins has done this in the past and was able to back-up his words. Fans all around the baseball universe will be watching if the Yankees and Derek Jeter finally silence Jimmy Rollins.

Edge: Yankees 

 

Third-Baseman: Alex Rodriguez (NYY) vs. Pedro Feliz (PHI)

This debate is easy. Alex Rodriguez has taken the monkey off of his back this postseason. He is locked in at the plate and the Phillies will have hard time pitching around him as Mark Teixeira is before him and Hideki Matsui follows. 

Rodriguez is hitting .428 this postseason and has driven in 12 runs, several of those with the longball as he has five homers.

Pedro Feliz has struggled a lot this postseason and has left several runner in scoring position. He has been the complete opposite of Alex Rodriguez. This category is no contest and Charlie Manuel knows this. He will have to do a lot of mixing and matching to try and match A-Rod’s production at the plate. 

Edge: Yankees

 

Outfield: Johnny Damon LF, Melky Cabrera CF, Nick Swisher RF (NYY) vs. Raul Ibanez LF, Shane Victorino CF, Jason Werth RF (PHI)

The Phillies have a much stronger outfield than the New York Yankees. The Yankees have a full outfield and have several players like Brett Gardner and Jerry Hairston that can take over in the outfield. Johnny Damon has no arm strength and the Phillies will definitely be willing to test that arm on throws to home. His bat will come in handy as he will have to try and get on base if Jeter is unable to, so Alex Rodriguez will at least get a chance to bat. 

Melky Cabrera is the best defensive outfielder for the Yankees. He can cover a lot of ground and brings speed to the outfield. His hitting is alright and he can bunt when the Yankees need him to.

Nick Swisher is the most entertaining Yankee in the outfield. Somehow he will end up making a play by diving when he doesn’t need to. Other times in the outfield, Swisher can look bad. Swisher has to pick it up offensively for him to stay in the line-up, because he has been struggling.

Raul Ibanez looks like one of the biggest offseason steals from last winter. He started his postseason strong but has, all of a sudden, stopped being productive. He needs to break out of his cold spell for the Phillies to score more runs.

Shane Victorino is a speed demon. He will run when on the base paths and try and test Jorge Posada’s surgically repaired shoulder. In the outfield he was a Gold Glove award winner in 2008 and an All-Star selection this year. The Flying Hawaiian has driven in seven runs and has scored eight. He will definitely be key player to watch in this series. 

Jason Werth is the Phillies’ version of Alex Rodriguez. During the season he hit 36 homers and drove in 99 runs. During the postseason he has driven in 10 runs especially when they mean the most. All eyes will be on him to see how he fares against big pitchers like CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett. 

Edge: Phillies

 

Starting Pitchers: CC Sabathia LHP, AJ Burnett RHP, and Andy Pettitte LHP (NYY) vs. Cliff Lee LHP, Pedro Martinez RHP, Cole Hamels LHP (PHI)

The New York Yankees have gone with a three-man pitching rotation throughout the entire playoffs. 

In Game One, lefties CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee will face each other as they open the series. These two are the last two AL Cy Young Award Winners. Both achieved the honors while on the Cleveland Indians. CC Sabathia is 3-0 this postseason with an incredible ERA of 1.29 in the play-offs. Cliff Lee has posted a record of 2-0 with an even more incredible ERA of 0.79!

Game Two will be AJ Burnett and Pedro Martinez. The two throw really hard and will be an interesting match-up if Jose Molina catches Burnett. This would mean that Pedro Martinez will face a different line-up than the one in Game One. 

Cole Hamels has been pushed back a start and will be Philadelphia’s Game Three starter, as the Yankees opt to go with their veteran southpaw, Andy Pettitte.

The Yankees three starters top the Phillies starters, but the Phillies have J.A. Happ in the bullpen along with Joe Blanton. If the Bronx Bombers have to go to a fourth starter it would probably be Sabathia or Chad Gaudin. 

Edge: Yankees

 

Bullpen and Closers: The Yankees Bullpen and Mariano Rivera vs. The Phillies Bullpen and Brad Lidge

Lets make this category simple by putting the bullpens in a scenario where their starters only go six innings.

Seventh Inning: Yankees Joba Chamberlain vs. Scott Eyre

Seventh Inning Edge—Yankees

Eighth Inning: Phil Hughes vs. Ryan Madson

Eighth Inning Edge—Yankees

Ninth Inning: Seriously? Mariano Rivera is the best all-time closer in baseball. In the postseason he is even better. Sorry Brad Lidge, but you are no Mariano Rivera.

Bullpen Edge—Yankees

 

Designated Hitter: Hideki Matsui (NYY) vs. Raul Ibanez or Ben Francisco (PHI)

The Phillies may want to play Ibanez at the DH position in Games One and Two. Or they can decide to go with Ben Francisco at the DH role. It is all up to Charlie Manuel. Matsui has adapted to the role as DH and has the edge of being one every game.

Edge: Yankees

 

Bench: Yankees Bench vs. Phillies Bench

The Yankees have one of their strongest benches in recent years. They have the flexible Jerry Hairston, the speedy Brett Gardner, and a good slugger in Eric Hinske. 

The Phillies have former Yankee Miguel Cairo on the bench. Also on the Phillies bench is Matt Stairs, Eric Bruntlett, and Greg Dobbs. 

Edge: Yankees

 

Mangers: Joe Girardi (NYY) vs. Charlie Manuel (PHI)

Joe Girardi has World Series experience, but it is as a player and not as a manager. Things are different, but he does know how to manage in the National League. Those skills come in handy when the Yankees travel to Philadelphia and have to do double-switches and a lot of pinch-hitting and pinch-running. 

Charlie Manuel managed the Phillies to a World Series Championship last year. He is a very aggressive manager and is not afraid to make any changes. He will do whatever it takes to help his team win.

Even though Joe Girardi won 103 games this year, some of his managerial changes and moves leave fans scratching their heads.  

Edge: Phillies

 

Prediction: YANKEES WIN THE WORLD SERIES IN SIX GAMES OVER THE PHILLIES.

 

 

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Bring on Dem Yankees!

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Lineups and Numbers: World Series Game 1 Preview

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Emptying the Notebook, World Series Style

So, I’ve been trying this week to actually write some insightful columns and conduct some interviews, both for the folks over at CBS and here. In addition to that, I’ve been accumulating a tremendous amount of notes that I’ve slipped into various columns or interviews.

However, not everything made the cut, or fit, or whatever. So, just for the sake of having everything in one place, or in case this is the only Web site you go to on your Internet machine, let’s review the events from the last few days:

 

SUNDAY, OCT. 25 —WORKOUT AT CITIZENS BANK PARK

• Charlie Manuel officially named Cliff Lee his Game One starter, but he would not commit to anybody for Game Two. Well, at least publicly he would not commit to anybody.
• The Phillies held a simulated game this afternoon. Pedro Martinez, J.A. Happ, Chan Ho Park, Brett Myers, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo, Clay Condrey, and Tyler Walker all threw.
• Raul Ibanez did not rule out surgery after the season to repair a tear in his abdomen, which was first reported by Sports Illustrated .

 

MONDAY, OCT. 26 —WORKOUT AT CITIZENS BANK PARK/TRAIN RIDE TO NEW YORK

• Charlie Manuel expects to see CC Sabathia three times if the World Series goes seven games.
• Raul Ibanez is going to DH Game One, which allows Ben Francisco to play left field. Matt Stairs or Greg Dobbs could DH Game Two against A.J. Burnett.
• Robin Roberts spoke about the 1950 World Series to reporters. He said he hated four things growing up: Notre Dame, Michigan, the Yankees, and Russia. 
• Charlie Manuel again refuses comment about his Game Two starter.
• J.A. Happ was named Sporting News Rookie of the Year as voted by his fellow players.
• Jimmy Rollins picks the Phillies in five games on Jay Leno. He correctly predicted a Phillies-Yankees World Series in Playboy back in March.

 

TUESDAY, OCT. 27 —MEDIA DAY/WORKOUT AT YANKEE STADIUM

• Charlie Manuel announces that it will be Pedro Martinez in Game Two for the Phillies. He will use Cole Hamels Game Three, at home, Saturday.
• Ryan Howard makes the regional cover of Sports Illustrated .
• Brett Myers, who was left off the NLCS roster, is back on the World Series roster. Miguel Cairo is the odd-man out. Everyone else is the same from last round.
• Shane Victorino laughed when the cover of the morning’s New York Post was shown to him, depicting him in a poorly photoshopped skirt.

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MLB Got the World Series it Wanted, But I Didn’t

Tonight, if the rain lets up, the World Series will begin between the Phillies and the Yankees. While on paper this seems like a great matchup, featuring the teams that have been the best in their respective leagues all season, I’m completely uninterested.

At the risk of sounding like a whiny blogger, this is not a World Series that captivates my interest.

Perhaps it’s the story, or lack there of. While A-Rod’s rise from a playoff failure to juggernaut has been interesting, I honestly can’t get into it.

This is a series between the Yankees and Phillies, two teams with storied traditions and fan bases known for being jackasses, albeit in two completely separate ways. There’s no one to root for here besides God, who I hope sends multiple plagues down upon the stadium until both teams are eliminated.

Usually, in a situation like this, I cheer for the team that I think has a more deserving fan base. But alas, we’re stuck with the eventual champion’s fans being composed of jackasses with a championship to brag about.

Another part of my disinterest in this series is the timing. Game 5 of last year’s World Series was on Oct. 27 and, due to rain, finished on the Oct. 29. It wrapped up just as the NBA was starting. Literally, I flipped the channel from the World Series to the Pacers’ season opener. The timing was great.

At the same point this year, we’re just entering the World Series. The NBA season has begun. With the Pacers and the NHL to distract me, why would I want to watch a series between two teams I hate?

That’s been the main problem with the playoffs this season. The series are split up with too many off days that kill a lot of the drama and momentum.

Baseball is played all summer on back-to-back days. Yet, when fall rolls around, it apparently becomes a sport that must have one to two days off in between each game and half-a-week off before beginning the next series. I’d much rather be on the edge of my seat for two weeks than lulled to sleep by a disjointed playoff system that kills the drama of it all.

For the fans of the Phillies and Yankees, enjoy the moment. Try not to wreck your city when you win/lose.

As for me, I’m really pulling for plagues in this one.

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Bring on the Fall Classic

After what has seemed like an eternity since the end of the ALCS, the World Series is finally ready to get underway later tonight.

On paper, I can’t say that a Yankees–Phillies matchup is one that will go down in history as one of the greatest playoff rivalries, but I’m sure some people probably thought the very same thing about the 2001 World Series between the Diamondbacks and the Yankees.

If there’s one team in the National League that’s built to take down the New York Yankees, it’s the Philadelphia Phillies. With their combination of stellar starting pitching and an insurmountable lineup, the Yanks will have their hands full with Ryan Howard and company.

As a side note, other bloggers and media outlets have picked up this story, but did you know that this is the third straight World Series appearance for Eric Hinske?

Since being dumped by the Blue Jays, whether or not he was actually on the playoff roster, Hinske has made trips to the past three World Series. Just in case you were curious, he’s made a grand total of three plate appearances and is 1-for-3 in those appearances with one home run.

Although Eric Hinske might not have any World Series rings, at least he has three different “American League Champions” sweatshirts to keep him warm through the cold, long offseason.

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Phillies vs. Yankees Causing Fans to Become “Frienemies” in World Series

After sitting through 162 games and two rounds of the playoffs, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees will square off Wednesday night to open up the first game of the 2009 World Series.

Philadelphia vs New York.

Broad Street vs Broadway.

Liberty Bell vs Statue of Liberty.

David vs Goliath.

Whatever you want to call this series, the only thing that matters is the matchup between the Phillies and Yankees has everything baseball fans could ask for.

A pitching matchup between two former Cleveland Indians teammates in Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia. Two of the best hitters in the game in Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez. Two of the best team leaders in all of baseball in Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter.

Oh yeah, did I mention this series consists of two cities with one of the most intense fan bases in all of sports?

This year’s World Series between the Phillies and Yankees should turn out to be quite the dogfight with the way both teams have played lately.

The Phillies look to become the first team in the National League to repeat as champions since the Cincinnati Reds did from 1975-76. The New York Yankees are hungry to win their first World Series since 2000.

Yes, you can expect an intense amount of “verbal exchanges” between both sets of Yankees and Phillies fans each game.

Most Yankees fans will hate Phillies fans by the end of the series.

Most Phillies fans will hate Yankees fans by the end of the series.

However, let’s not forget about the beloved sports fans from the Phillies and Yankees side that have to make the adjustment to “frienemies” for the next week or so.

In case you are unaware, “frienemies” is a term used for friends that can also be seen as enemies.

As a die-hard Philadelphia fan, there is nothing I would love to see more than my beloved Phillies repeat as World Series Champions. However, I also have to deal with the good friends and family of mine that are Yankees fans.

One of the best parts about being a sports fan is the rivalries established amongst teams and fans. Considering how close the Phillies and Yankees are too each other, there are a handful of friends and family of mine that will be on the “frienemies” list for at least the next week.

My good friend Becky could be considered the female version of myself when it comes to being a Philadelphia Eagles fan. We have sat through all of the heartache and disappointment through their playoff runs over the years.

Even next Sunday, we will be friends through sports when the Eagles host the  the Giants at the Linc. However, that friendship will be put on hold for a few hours later that night once Game Four of the World Series gets under way.

While Becky may be a beloved Eagles fan, she is also one of the biggest Yankees fans in the world. We knew there was a chance our beloved baseball teams would square off against each other in the World Series.

Now, we get to experience what it’s like to go head-to-head come tomorrow night.

Becky isn’t the only friend of mine to be placed on the “frienemies” list for the World Series. My former supervisor Abby at the University of Dayton Recreational Facility is a Yankees fan. My Uncle Rich is a Yankees fan. Even some friends from high school and college are die-hard Yankees fans.

What’s even more interesting about the matchup between the Phillies and Yankees are the frienemies who are fans of neither team.

My cousin Danielle is one of the biggest New York Mets fans in the world. Every time the Phils and Mets square off, we know the loser of the game can expect a phone call later that night.

As much as she hates my Phillies during the regular season, she has already admitted to rooting for them in the World Series because of her hate towards the Yankees. Apparently, some Mets fans would hate to see another New York team win the World Series.

If this is the case, some Mets fans may actually find themselves rooting for the Phils to pull through against their inner-city rivals.

Then again, I’m sure there are a handful of Mets fans that would rather see the Yankees win instead of their division-rival Phillies, who are trying to defend last year’s title.

I’m sure there are other fans out there, both from the Phillies and Yankees, who are in a similar situation with frienemies this year.

Whether you have frienemies this World Series or not, you can still expect an intense matchup between the Phillies and Yankees that could easily go six or seven games.

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2009 World Series: Five Key Storylines

Mr. Lidge & His Unstable Bridge

                If one was creating a children’s book with this title, perhaps the best cover picture would be the following:

 

Hilarious images created in MS Paint aside, Brad Lidge has been quite shaky over this year, and the course of his career as a whole. When Lidge came to Philadelphia, many questioned how he would handle adversity due to his fall from grace following his rough 2005 playoff experience.

 

Proving he could handle rough stretches was undoubtedly the most important thing that Lidge had to do in the 2008 season. Oddly enough, Lidge managed to put together an MVP-caliber championship season without answering this vital question.

 

This year, however, we have certainly seen Lidge face his fair share of adversity. He has become inconsistent and somewhat unreliable, and the rest of the Phillies’ bullpen has certainly followed suit. This year, what was known last year as the “Bridge to Lidge” now inspired nail-biting, hyperventilating, and head-shaking more than it did catchy nicknames.

 

The Phillies bullpen has been somewhat stronger in the playoffs than it was during the regular season, but they haven’t been performing at a level that inspires the sort of confidence that they earned last year.

 

As the Phillies enter the World Series, their hopes of winning are going to rely on one of two things—either the presence of an overpowering offense, or a reliable bullpen. The kinds of games that tend to hurt the Phillies the most are those that see their starters pitch a gem only to have the bullpen erase a strong effort.

 

This often isn’t an issue if the offense is producing a lot of runs, but the Phillies can’t really rely on blowing out a Yankees team featuring C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte. There’s a very good chance that the Phillies’ bullpen will find themselves in high-pressure situation at multiple points in this series, and they’re going to have to play like they did in the playoffs last year if they are going to win.

 

The bullpen made major slip-ups in Game Four of the NLDS and Game Two of the NLCS— both at critical junctures that could easily have shifted the series out of the Phillies’ favor. Given the fact that the Yankees are a powerhouse team that hits well in clutch situations, the Phillies can’t hope to win this series if their closer and setup men play at a level any lower than the level they performed at last year.

 

 

The Long Layoff vs. The Short Layoff

 

Last year, many experts cited the Phillies’ six-day layoff between the NLCS and World Series as a big problem for the Phillies, who would be facing a Rays team coming off a two-day layoff between the ALCS and the World Series. Some even went as far as to use that as a reason for picking the Rays.

 

The Phillies’ offense ended up hitting pretty badly in the early parts of the series, but the Phillies still won because their pitching was so strong. The Phillies’ success last year would suggest that they can play well after a long layoff, although it goes without saying their five-game victory over the Rays was remarkable given how badly the offense performed.

 

Like the Rays, the Yankees will be coming off a two-day layoff when they play in Game One. But the circumstances will be somewhat different for them. While both teams are starting their aces (Scott Kazmir for the 2008 Rays and C.C. Sabathia for the Yankees) on plenty of rest, the Yankees will have a lot more energy going into their World Series than the Rays did last year.

 

The Rays won the AL East and ALDS with surprisingly little effort, but they had a lot more trouble in the ALCS. After taking a 3-1 series lead, the Rays had loads of trouble eliminating the Red Sox and ended up barely winning the series. The Yankees, on the other hand, didn’t have to put the same amount of effort into winning a pennant, and because of that they will go into the World Series in a morefocused, energetic mode, and less of a celebratory, deflated mode.

 

The Rays suffered from what I like to call the “just happy to be there” syndrome, which causes Cinderella teams to fold after a massive upset. Nobody expected them to win the pennant, while the Phillies had their eye on a World Series title from the very start.

 

In this year’s World Series, expect the length of each team’s layoff to have a couple effects on this series. First of all, the Phillies’ layoff is too long for them to expect their recent hot streak to carry into the World Series. Ryan Howard is no longer on a streak, and all of the Phillies players will be long-removed from the NLCS.

 

The Yankees, on the other hand, didn’t win the ALCS all that long ago, so their recent performance will carry over a bit more. The likely result of this will be the Phillies come out of the gate a bit sluggish and, because of this, the Yankees will probably have the edge in Game One.

 

In that case, the question will be if the Phillies can get their act together quickly enough to earn a series split in New York, which would give them home-field advantage in the series and undoubtedly place them in the driver’s seat.

 

 

Is Yankee Stadium Really the Yankees’ Stadium?

 

The Yankees have played fantastically at home this season, and historically the team has tended to build teams that take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s shallow right-field dimensions. The new Yankee Stadium’s mysterious wind-tunnel effect has also made the park very friendly towards power-hitters in general, as fly balls tend to carry much more than they would elsewhere. That being said, the kind of team that does best at the new Yankee Stadium is a team that is lefty-heavy and swings for the fences.

 

Wait a minute…isn’t that the Phillies?

 

Bizarrely enough, the Phillies have fielded a team this year much more well-built to play in Yankee Stadium than the Yankees’ current team. Due to the power-friendly nature of their home field, Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have a team that loves to hit for power, which actually makes Yankee Stadium even more ideal for them.

 

While the Yankees also hit a lot of long-balls, the Phillies do happen to be more lefty-heavy than the Yankees. It’s certainly an advantage when you consider the walls at Yankee Stadium are a bit deeper in right field than they are in left.

 

This bizarre reality would suggest that the Phillies are even better built for Yankee Stadium then the Yankees are. When you combine that notion with the Phillies’ MLB-best road record (48-33 in the regular season, 3-1 in the playoffs), the magnitude of the Yankees’ home-field advantage seems a bit more obsolete than their 57-24 regular-season home record and 5-0 playoff home record would suggest.

 

This isn’t to say that the Yankees are at a disadvantage at home, but given the structure of the series (see “2-3-2”), this situation could shift the series in the Phillies’ favor.

 

 

2-3-2

 

The 2-3-2 format for a seven-game series (meaning that one team plays games one, two, six, and seven at home, while the other hosts games three through five) used by the MLB instead of the 2-2-1-1-1 format has the effect of giving the team without home-field advantage a different sort of advantage.

 

In an “ideal” series—one that sees the home team win every game—the team with home-field advantage would actually trail the series after Game Five. In a 2-2-1-1-1 format, the team with home-field advantage would never trail at any point in an “ideal” series. Some consider this situation as unfair toward teams with home-field advantage, while others see it as a way of making a series more fair and competitive.

 

Both the Phillies and Yankees have had experience with the quirks of the 2-3-2 format. In 2001, the Yankees played in an “ideal” series, as the team didn’t have home-field advantage, resulting in them falling behind 0-2, going ahead 3-2, then losing the series in Game 7.

 

The Phillies took full advantage of the 2-3-2 format last year, winning one game in Tampa Bay (as the Rays had home-field advantage) before winning all three games at home. This allowed them to take the series in five games, despite winning only one road game.

 

In this series, the 2-3-2 format makes home-field advantage seem obsolete—including both the Yankees’ initial home-field advantage and the potential home-field advantage the Yankees or Phillies could win at some point with a win on the road.

 

It would be obsolete for the Phillies because they would only gain home-field advantage if they win one or two games at Yankee Stadium. Holding onto that advantage would require them to win all three home games at home if they earned a split, or would require them to win two out of three at home in the very unlikely event that they won both Games One and Two in New York.

 

For the Yankees, home-field advantage wouldn’t be a good thing to cling to. Even if they maintain it, the Phillies could still gain a 3-2 lead in the series—putting the Yankees in a rough spot.

 

Historically, the 2-3-2 format tends to be much kinder to teams that don’t have home-field advantage than the 2-2-1-1-1 format is—but it is much less forgiving to teams that drop both Games One and Two on the road.

 

Two examples come to mind. In the 2001 World Series, which followed a 2-3-2 format, the Yankees dropped Games One and Two on the road to the Diamondbacks. The Yankees went on to pull off a miraculous sweep of the three games in New York, yet still lost the series in seven games.

 

We saw the opposite example in the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, a 2-2-1-1-1 series in which the Detroit Red Wings went up 2-0 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins fought hard and won Games Three and Four, but got steamrolled in Game Five. Nevertheless, they won Game Six at home and shocked the Red Wings in Game Seven.

 

The moral of the story is that trailing 2-0 in a 2-3-2 format means, in order to win, you essentially face three consecutive must-wins at home. Even if you will all three of those games, you have to win either Game Six or Seven on the road after that exhausting effort.

 

In a 2-2-1-1-1 format, a team down 2-0—like the Penguins—can win Games Three and Four at home, have an off-day and drop Game Five on the road, then come roaring back in Game Six and use that momentum going into Game Seven. The Phillies, on the other hand, would have to win three games in three days at home in order to give themselves a realistic chance in the series. That would be extremely exhausting and might use up all of their energy, as it seemed to do to the Yankees in 2001.

 

That being the case, the 2-3-2 format can be a huge plus to the Phillies, so long as they earn a series split in New York. If they do so, the Yankees suddenly have to take one of the games in Philadelphia to force the series back to the Bronx, and they’d have to take two of three to be in the driver’s seat.

 

This isn’t to say that the Yankees have to win both games at home; their chances are still good if they do so. What the Yankees need to do is avoid letting the Phillies use the three straight home games to take control of the series, as they did against the Rays.

 

The best way they can do that is to avoid trailing the series at any point. Their starters will tire as the series moves along in the likely event they use a three-man rotation (see “Three vs. Four Man Rotation”), and because the Phillies are very dangerous when they have momentum.

 

 

Three-Man vs. Four-Man Rotation

 

During the 2008 season, those involved with the Yankees universe began to realize that their core of older, declining players wasn’t going to win them a championship anytime soon. Many experts believed scouting was the answer, but the Yankees were determined to win sooner rather than later.

 

They wanted to win soon, not in ten years. That being the case, they added three huge free agents to their team, two of which were ace-caliber pitchers- C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

 

Both Sabathia and Burnett are highly skilled pitchers, but they are only two starters in the Yankees rotation. They are supplanted by the also-capable Andy Pettitte, but after that things become a bit cloudier. The Yankees have used Chad Gaudin sparingly in case he would be needed as a fourth starter in the World Series, but when push comes to shove, it seems unlikely that the Yankees would use Gaudin in Game Four unless they had a comfortable lead in the series.

 

That being the case, if this series becomes a big challenge for the Yankees, they might want to have their best arms on the field at all times. However, that means that their starters would be pitching on short rest from Game Four on.

 

While that might be something that hasn’t hurt C.C. Sabathia, it would probably hinder Burnett or Pettitte’s performance. I wouldn’t read too much into the Phillies “solving” C.C. Sabathia in Game Two of the NLDS last year. In reality, they won that game in one inning, which hardly qualifies as “solving” a pitcher, and certainly doesn’t mean that Sabathia can’t pitch on short rest.

 

On the other hand, it is undeniable that the Phillies are going to have an easier time making a strong rotation for this World Series (a seven-game series that has no off-days other than travel days), because they can put a strong fourth starter on the mound in Game Four, giving them a good chance of victory and a rested rotation in Games Four through Seven.

 

Some would argue that the ability to use C.C. Sabathia in a possible Game Seven would make the Yankees’ three-man rotation advantageous. However, even if the Yankees are able to reach that point, a matchup between a somewhat-fatigued C.C. Sabathia (pitching on short rest for the second straight time) and a fully-rested Cole Hamels wouldn’t be overwhelmingly favorable for the Yankees.

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

Throughout this entire season, I have maintained that the World Series would see the Yankees prevail over the Phillies. I am a huge Phillies fan, but I never let my allegiances dictate my predictions. Last year, I had expected the World Series to be Red Sox over Phillies, but I changed my prediction to indicate a Phillies victory after the Rays beat out the Sox for the AL pennant. I stick by my predictions unless I see a compelling reason to do so.

 

I usually go with my gut when I make a prediction—and when I don’t I often suffer from the miscue. In this case, my gut has constantly told me that the Yankees are destined to reclaim their spot atop baseball. However, every time I match these teams up (as I have done here) and play out the series in my head and on paper, the Phillies end up prevailing.

 

You might scoff and say, “Well, that’s because you’re a Phillies fan who is just excited and afraid to lose,” you’d be right—but that’s not why I’m getting these results.

 

Rather, it is because I have seen the Phillies do things in these playoffs that have defied my conception of them. They have played clutch baseball in situations they once would have flopped in. They have played consistently in all aspects in the game—something they struggled with many times in the past, including during last year’s championship run.

 

Most importantly, they have played like champions, failing to disappoint Philadelphia fans when we expect them to. I have seen plenty of top-ranked Philadelphia teams flop over the years, but this team has failed to do that. They have earned the respect of the baseball world, but haven’t acted presumptuously. I know this team all too well, and I can confidently tell you that they are not the team they used to be.

 

As for the Yankees, I think they are a better team overall than the Phillies. They aren’t overwhelmingly better, but they are a bit stronger of a baseball team. However, as this article has revealed, they don’t match up well against the Phillies.

 

The Phillies pose a challenge to the Yankees that the Yankees have not faced yet this season. They have players with World Series experience throughout their roster, and they know what it takes to win. This Yankees team is the first step towards a new dynasty, but the Phillies are already in their glory years and are now on the verge of becoming a dynasty.

 

I have a multitude of respect for this Yankees team, but they’re a patchwork of old and new that hasn’t come together the way the Phillies have. To make a long story short, the Yankees may have a tangible advantage in this series, but it is clear that the Phillies have an intangible advantage going for them that will be tough to overcome. A

 

dd that to the way these two teams match up head-to-head, and it looks like the powerful Yankees aren’t the clear favorite in this series.

 

This series will undoubtedly go a long way in deciding whether or not the Phillies’ current team will become a dynasty, as well as in determining whether or not the Yankees are once again the kings of baseball. This much is clear—this World Series has more on the line than any series has had before.

 

Both organizations need this victory so badly, and because of this, many expect it to be a classic. I’m not going to pretend I’m completely convinced that my prediction will be right..but in the end, I think the Phillies’ intangibles—including their experience, team-play, and seasoned manager—as well as the structure of the series and the way the two teams match up will give the Phillies the victory in six games.

 

Predictions often call for longer series when the teams are closely matched, but I think the Phillies will go into Game 6 up 3-2, and will earn the road victory. Unless the Yankees either take a 2-0 series lead or gain a 3-2 lead in the series, I’m going to stick with that prediction

 

Phillies in 6

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