The Football Fan Spot

Phillies World Series Gear 2009

The Yankees are loaded, as you would expect them to be after all the money they’ve spent this decade, especially the 440 million or so they spent on 3 players last off-season. Despite the fact that its been proven not to work as an effective offensive strategy in years past, this team wins games by hitting a lot of homeruns and any one of their hitters 1-9 is capable of hitting one out in every given at bat.

This team scored more runs than any other team this season. They hit 244 homeruns this season, good for most in the league and 20 more than the two 2nd place teams in that category, the Texas Rangers and the Yankees’ World Series opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies.

They have a very strong rotation led by ace CC Sabathia who has proven that he can mow down the opponent even on short rest. They also have off season acquisition AJ Burnett and old but steady Andy Pettitte who are capable of having big games. Their bullpen is strong as it has ever been lead by future hall of Fame closer Mariano “Mo” Rivera and a bunch of good, young, strong arms strengthening the bridge to Mo.

However, the Phillies are equally loaded. They won the World Series last year and bring to the table an even better team this year. They lost Pat Burrell in the off-season, but replaced him in the outfield with Raul Ibanez who had a breakout year this year at 37 years old despite missing about a month with injuries.

Outfielder Jayson Werth, a former career journeyman, also had a breakout year this year with 36 homeruns and 99 RBIs at age 30. Completing their outfield is Shane Victorino, who had a career year this year and made the All-Star team on the final vote, beating out  Pablo “Panda” Sandoval.

They also added 2008 Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee to their rotation to compliment 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels. They’ve added Pedro Martinez, who has had a Hall of Fame caliber career and has plenty of Postseason experience from his days with the Boston Red Sox.

Their only question mark coming into the Postseason was their bullpen. Brad Lidge, who didn’t blow a save all last season in 48 chances and recorded the final out for the Phillies in the World Series, blew 11 saves this season in the regular season and had an ERA of 7.21. It was unknown whether or not they would keep him as their postseason closer. Lidge has been lights out thus far with 4 saves in 4 chances so far this postseason and is yet to give up a run.

On paper these teams are extremely closely matched, but the Phillies are regarded as an underdog to the Yankees who won 103 regular season games this season, most in baseball. Often times, when teams are this closely matched, the underdog will win because they will feel disrespected and thus want it more. Baseball and life often comes down to who wants it more. It will be a great series, but I expect the Phillies to win it in 7, with Pedro Martinez pitching a dominant performance in game 7 in Yankee stadium, showing the Yankees who their “daddy’ is.

Verdict: Phillies in 7

I don’t like the Yankees. Many people don’t. ESPN and Sportscenter are not in that category. Of course they love them, homeruns, highlights, big names, scandals, a history of success, New York City, all of those things sell. However, I think they are going a bit overboard. In the past three days, watching Baseball Tonight and Sportscenter cover highlights and analysis of the ALCS, I have heard one ESPN analyist say that Mariano Rivera is the greatest pitcher of all time and one ESPN analyist call Alex Rodriquez the greatest hitter of all time. Now, unfortunately I do not remember the name of said analysists mostly because in my reaction, which involved a lot of screaming at the television, cursing, and nearly throwing the remote control, I completely forgot the name of these stupid fools. Why are these analysists stupid fools? Well I’m glad you asked. Both Mariano Rivera and Alez Rodriquez are deadly in what they do and put up great stats, but both lack one thing durability and because of that, they cannot be considered the greatest.

Mariano Rivera had 526 career saves, 2nd most all time to Trevor Hoffman. Depending on when Hoffman and Rivera respectively decide to hang them up, Rivera could be the saves king when its all said and done. He had a 2.25 career ERA and a WHIP of 1.01. He also hasn’t thrown more than 80 and 2/3 innings in any season other than 1996. I don’t know what he would be like as a starting pitcher, but likely, because he only has the one good pitch, albeit amazing, and untested durability, he would not have done as well as a starting pitcher. He’s amazing at what he does and has amazing mental toughness, but can we really call him the greatest pitcher of all time over guys like Cy Young, who had the durability to win 511 games, or Nolan Ryan, who had the durability to strike out 5714 batters? I say no.

I know what you’re thinking. How can I question Alex Rodriguez’s durability. He hasn’t had any major injuries. He’s played 2166 games. He’s never played less than 124 games in a season. Well, my answer to your confusion is his lack of postseason success. Now again I know what you’re thinking. How can I still be calling A-Rod a choker. He’s doing great this year. He is doing great this year, because he missed 38 regular season games and received regular rest often in the regular season. I firmly believe that A-Rod’s postseason success this year is a result of the breaks he got this regular season and also that his past failures were as a result of breaking down late in the season in October. The Yankees did the right thing giving him rest in the regular season as shown by the results he’s putting out this month. In fact I’d argue they needed to. A-Rod is a great weapon when used right, but the greatest hitters of all time, in my mind Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Joe DiMaggio, in that order, were great because they couldn’t be used wrongly at the plate. Their teams didn’t need to give them major rest for them to produce in October.