So here we are, my favorite time of the year. It's the World Series and my Philadelphia Phillies are looking to capture their second straight title. But standing in their way are the 26-time champions New York Yankees who sealed their first American League title last night in six years. How does this match up in my opinion? Well, let's see:
SHORTSTOP: Derek Jeter has been playing for 15 years, so it's hard to ignore his experience and four World Series rings. But he hasn't exactly proven to me that he's the same power player that he was in years past, though I still consider him to be a dangerous impact player, and rightly so. Jimmy Rollins' bat tends to come to life in later innings, however his glove work is superior than Jeter's this postseason. ADVANTAGE: Even
FIRST BASE: Ryan Howard has tied Lou Gehrig for consecutive games with an RBI this year (8 games). So it goes without saying, his bat has been hot latey. Mark Texiera has had an a good playoff run, but nothing extraordinary. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
SECOND BASE: People would think I'd be concerned about Chase Utley because of his two throwing errors in the NLDS and NLCS. But I'm willing to let it slide. I have a lot of respect for Robinson Cano, but once again, nothing more than a good player, in my opinion, not much of an impact player. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
THIRD BASE: Hmmm...Alex Rodriguez or Pedro Feliz? Hmmm... ADVANTAGE: Yankees
LEFT FIELD: Ben Francisco will probably play left field, as Raul Ibanez is expected to be the DH for the series. I'm comfortable with Francisco out in left since he carries a great glove with him. Johnny Damon is a great player, and especially dangerous with the bat as he has proven time and time again. However, his fielding has been about average and there is nothing great about his defensive skills this postseason. The combination of Francisco's glove, and Raul's bat should be a postive factor for the Phillies. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
CENTERFIELD: Shane Victorino with a glove and a bat? Melky Cabrera with a glove and a bat. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
RIGHT FIELD: Jayson Werth's arm and a bat? Nick Swisher...well, Nick Swisher. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
CATCHER: Carlos Ruiz is definitely the most underrated person on Phillies playoff roster defensively speaking. Jorge Posada isn't the same Jorge posada we've seen in years, but he's still a force to be reckoned with. Plus, Jose Molina is a more solid backup catcher compared to Paul Bako. ADVANTAGE: Yankees
STRATING PITCHING: Game One will see two senior citizens (at least, according to baseball standards) go for their respective teams: Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia. Andy Pettite doesn't scare me, but Cole Hamels and J.A. Happ do. I guess it all falls on Pedro Martinez, if he keeps the ball in field, the Phillies should be fine. ADVANTAGE: Even
BULLPEN: The Yankees relief pitching has been everything but relief for the bombers this postseason. With the exception of Mariano Rivera, the Yankees bullpen lacks depth as proven by the back end of the relievers: Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, and Joba Chamberlain (look at Game 3 and Game 5 of the ALCS). In contrast, the Phillies bullpen has been steady this October. This could play out to be a big factor in who wins the series. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
MANAGER: Joe Girardi who? The success of the New York Yankees has everything to do with the natural talent that the players on the roster bring to the club (or in A-Rod's case, the juice they shoot to bring the talent). In Girardi, you have a guy who banks too much on his bullpen and shows poor judgement. On the other hand, you have Charlie Manuel who came to Phillies organization in 2005 to rebuild the team. Nobody expected anything from him, but he did give results. Whether it was shaking up the lineup or whatever, he got the job done. Yes he has his flaws (especially his commitment Brad Lidge in the regular season), but as of late, even time has proven Uncle Charlie right. ADVANTAGE: Phillies
Call me biased because I'm a Phillies fan, but I think that both teams are excellent teams and we are in for a great series. It will be a roller coaster, but both teams have certainly earned a trip to the Fall Classic. It's all a matter of who wants it more, who wants it bad, and who still has gas and tricks in the bag.
PREDICTION: Phillies in 6
No comments:
Post a Comment