2 Years Ago - #27

(Yahoo!)

Two years ago yesterday, the Yankees finally captured their 27th World Series Championship. Phillies center-fielder Shane Victorino grounded out to Robinson Cano, who fired to first base to secure the 7-3 win and the W.S. title.

I am really amazed how quick two years have gone by. I was of course at the game, if you can remember, and it will always be one of the greatest moments of my life. I was in Section 421, and saw everything, from Matsui's 6 RBIs, to the trophy presentation, and the party that lasted well into the morning in the Bronx.

The entire series was incredible too, from A.J.'s Game 2 masterpiece, Johnny Damon's double-steal, and countless of other great moments, ulitmately culminating in #27.

A lot has changed since that November night. But it is always great to look back on what was an incredible moment in Yankee history, one I will never, ever, forget.

Go Yankees.

A Tale Of Two Teams - 2009 and 2011.

This year, all we've heard since Cliff Lee spurned the Yanks and signed with the Phillies, is that the Yankees' rotation will be their Achilles heel, and ultimately, the reason they can't win the World Series this year. Well, on the contrary, that, after thinking about it, is truly B.S.

Here is the Yankees' 2009 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP rotation:

C.C. Sabathia - 19-8

A.J. Burnett - 13-9

Andy Pettitte - 14-8

Joba Chamberlain - 9-6

Sergio Mitre - 3-3

Are you kidding me??? That's the Yankees World Championship rotation? Yes, it is. That 2009 team, fueled by a powerful lineup, won 103 games with that starting 5. Of course Joe Girardi went with the three man rotation in the '09 Postseason, but throughout the course of the regular season, we saw Joba struggle horrendously as the fourth starter, and the fifth starter varying, from Phil Hughes, to Chien-Ming Wang, to Sergio Mitre. This was, in no way what so ever, a perfect or great rotation. But did it get the job done? You bet. Best record in MLB. And a World Championship.

Now, two years later, let's see the projected rotation for the 2011 Yanks:

C.C. Sabathia

A.J. Burnett

Phil Hughes

Ivan Nova

Freddy Garcia

When you think about it, is this rotation that bad? Or at least compared to the 2009 Yankees? No. It may be better.

C.C. is almost a lock to win 19 or 20 games, A.J., even if he's average, can get you 12 or 13 wins. Hughes? He won 18 last year, why can't he do it again? And Ivan Nova at least has been a starter before. He won't struggle that much like Joba did, and could win 10 or 12 games. You also can't forget about Freddy Garcia. He's a seasoned veteran, and at time can really be a beast on the mound. I'd take him over Meat-Tray anyday.

And this 2011 team still has a kick-ass offense, which will be the key to a lot of Yankee wins this season. Also add in a better bullpen, with Rafael Soriano and Pedro Feliciano? Certain games can become 6 inning games. Any of the starters give you a nice 6 inning outing. You hand the ball to David Robertson in the 7th. Rafael in the 8th. And a guy named Rivera in the 9th. 

Before anyone jumps the gun, saying the Yankees' rotation is not even close to being championship caliber, think again. Because you'll probably be slapping yourself in the forehead, when the Yankees are the 2011 World Series Champions.

TBS Says Goodbye To Caray

I'm sure many of you will be happy about this news.... According to Richard Sandomir TBS has decided to part ways with announcer Chip Caray. Caray had been the lead announcer for the MLB playoffs, and called Braves games.

In a memo sent to company employees, David Levy, the president of Turner Sports, wrote on Monday: “Since the end of this year’s M.L.B. playoffs, we’ve had several discussions with Chip Caray regarding 2010 and beyond. Both sides have agreed that now is the right time for Turner Sports and Chip to move ahead on different paths.”.

The article also says that there was time left on Caray's contract, so when they say "Both sides have agreed", what they actually mean is Chip Caray was fired and we're just saying this to be nice.

Caray was also doing Braves games for TBS and the company said they were looking at a

“number of candidates” to replace Caray.

I'm thankful for...

this...

... And this...

... Oh, and this too....

... And you gotta be thankful for this.....

... And most importantly this...

(all images from Yahoo! Sports)

I'm also thankful for all the great readers and contributors to this site. Thank you all, the site is nothing without all of you. What are you thankful for?

Hopefully you and your families all have a wonderful holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Sliding Into Home!

See The Premiere Of The 2009 World Series Video

Yesterday I posted the trailer to the video, this morning here's some info on where you can see a special premiere screening of the film.

On Monday, November 23rd at 7:30 p.m. there will be several screenings throughout the area. If you're in Manhattan you can attend the event at the Ziegfeld Theatre located at 141 west 54th street. There will also be screenings in many other theaters in New York and New Jersey. Here's the full list. Tickets to the event are $30.

2009 World Series Film Trailer

I didn't even know they made trailers for these things, but I guess they do now. Anyway, it looks pretty good. The DVD comes out on December 1st.

What was the best game of the postseason?

I was sitting around last night thinking about some of the great games that took place during the Yankees run to # 27, and I was trying to figure out which was my favorite. Three games stuck out to me: game 2 of the ALDS, game 2 of the ALCS, and game 4 of the World Series.

Game 2 of the ALDS featured A-Rod's huge two-out two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie it, David Robertson's Houdini escape in the top of the 11th, and Mark Teixeira's walk-off in the 11th. Game 2 of the ALCS also featured a game-tying homer by A-Rod, this time in the 11th, and was capped off by Izturis' error in the bottom of the 13th. And game 4 of the World Series was the Johnny Damon game. His two-out base hit and steal of 2nd and 3rd led to the Yankees winning that one. The game also had key hits by Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada.

Three losses were also great games, game 5 of both the ALCS and World Series saw major Yankees comebacks, but both times the Yankees fell short. And game 3 of the ALCS was also a great game, but once again it was a Yankees loss so it can't count -- at least not in my book.

My personal favorite was game 2 of the ALCS, but that's only because I was there. But which do you think was the best? There's a poll up on the right side bar where you can leave your response, or you can just leave a comment below.

Game 6 From My View

Well, after 8 long years, the Yankees have finally done it, as they beat the Phillies 7-3 last night to win their 27th World Championship. And I know a lot of you who watched it on TV are just as excited as I am, but I was actually there last night!!

As you know, my uncle surprised me with tickets to Game 6 on Tuesday, and I was so excited just thinking about going to a World Series game, let alone being at the one when the Yankees actually win #27.

After school, my Uncle Bobby picked me up at around 4 o'clock. We decided to take the Metro North train down to the Stadium, and it was really convenient. A 20 minute ride, only $7 total for the round trip, and you don't have to get stuck in traffic driving down to the Boogie Down. I'd strongly recommend taking the train down to the Stadium for future games.

We got there at around 4:30, and we had plenty of time to walk around Yankee Stadium and take in all the sights and sounds of a World Series game. We saw at least 3 blocks full of news vans not only from New York and Philadelphia, but even some from Canada, and a couple from Spain!

And since I really want to be a sports writer and or commentator when I grow up, my Uncle asked the Eyewitness News (ABC) van if I could hold their microphone and pretend to do a pre-game analysis on my Uncle's iPhone. It was kinda funny, but I think I did a good job.

Then we walked across the street to the Stadium and saw ESPN asking random fans trivia questions. I watched someone get asked the questions, and he got only 3 out of 5 right, and I was sure I would have gotten all of them right if I went on. After the fan left, I asked if I could get asked the trivia questions. But since I heard them and the answers, they obviously wouldn't let me. But then I ran into someone from WCBS 880 who was interviewing fans about Game 6. And he talked to me and recorded me previewing Game 6, and actually said I had the best preview of Game 6 than anyone he heard all night! So we exchanged emails hoping he would send me the audio clip to share with friends and what not. It was really cool.

Then we walked into Gate 4 at around 6:15, and as soon as we did, we saw Yankees beat writer Sweeny Murti walking into an office. I said hi, and we exchanged handshakes - I was really involved with the media last night.

Now onto the game. Our seats were in Section 421, Row 2. Before going to last night's game I truely thought the grandstand seats sucked and were a terrible place to see a Yankee game. But after sitting up there and having an amazing view of the field, I wouldn't mind sitting in those grandstand seats for the rest of my life.

Former Yankee great Scott Brosuis threw out the first pitch, and Tino Martinez and a teen from the RBI program delivered the first baseball to the mound. You should have heard the crowd as Tino and Scott's names were announced. They were definitely ready for some baseball!

Andy Pettitte took the mound and even though he walked 5, he pitched a really good game, as he limited the Phillies' lineup to just 3 runs over 5 and 2 thirds. When he came out in the 6th he was given a standing ovation that was so loud you couldn't here yourself think. It truely was amazing to be at one of Pettitte's greatest postseason starts.

It was also amazing to see the game Hideki Matsui had. A home run, a double, and a single, all adding up for 6 RBIs. That tied a World Series record previously set by former Yankee Bobby Richardson 49 years ago in the 1960 Fall Classic. After the home run he hit in the 2nd, each time he got up fans started cheering "Matsui! Matsui!", and following his single and double, fans gave him a standing ovation, and it was almost like when Paul O'Neill was given a standing ovation in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series, as everyone knew he was going to retire. And even though Matsui had an amazing night and took home the World Series MVP, it was kind of sad, because its almost certain that Hideki will not be back next year. And if indeed that was his final game in pinstripes, it was some way to go out.

As the game went on, fans started anticipating that final out, and around the 7th inning stretch, fans were starting to taste the champagne.

After Damaso Marte got the first out of the 8th, the first couple bars of "Enter Sandman" echoed throughout the Stadium, as Mariano Rivera jogged to the mound and the Stadium began to shake - okay, I'm exageratting a bit, but still, it was very loud and fans knew that it was almost time to start partying. Mo got the final outs of the 8th, and that's when I slowed down a bit and just took a moment to realize that I am watching my favorite team win the World Series. And in that 9th inning, Mo got Matt Stairs to line out to Derek Jeter, then after walking Carlos Ruiz, Jimmy Rollins popped up to Nick Swisher for the 2nd out, and then, after battling for a good 8 or 9 pitches, the Sandman got Shane Victorino to ground out to Robinson Cano. And not to steal a quote from Scott Brosuis, but it felt like that at-bat was 20 minutes long and took forever for Cano to actually throw to Mark Teixeira. But nonetheless, he did, and the Yankees won their 27th World Championship, and me and 50,000 other Yankee fans went nuts, jumping up and down, screaming, getting high-fives from all the fans I talked to during the game, and really rubbing it in to the Phillie fans.

We saw all the interviews and trophy presentations, and it was great to see Hideki Matsui win the MVP award. He certainly deserved it, as many Yankee fans would agree. We didn't leave until all the players were off the field, and then when we actually did leave, we stayed outside the Stadium to party with all the other fans rejoicing the Yankees' championship. It was crazy; there were people jumping on top of cars, climbing trees, crowding around cameramen and screaming, and even cheering "Who's your daddy?" right outside Gate 6. It was great!

I can't believe I was there to witness the Yankees 27th World Championship. It was such an amazing experience, and I'm sure I'll remember it as long as I live. And I'm sure all of you do too.

2009 WORLD CHAMPS BABY!!!

Breaking Down The Game 3 Matchup

Well, after a boring off-day, the World Series is back and will resume tonight as the Yanks and Phillies will play Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park, to make for an extra special Halloween.

For the Yankees, they're coming off that Game 2 win back at Yankee Stadium in which they beat Pedro Martinez, and A.J. Burnett threw a gem as the Yanks won 3-1. It tied the series up at 1 game a piece, and now they will send Andy Pettitte out to the hill trying to take a 2 games to 1 lead in the Fall Classic. This postseason, Andy has been great, allowing just 5 runs in 19 innings while striking out 15. He pitched Game 6 of the ALCS and allowed only 1 run against the Angels. The Yanks, as you know, went on to win the game to send them to the World Series.

As for the Phillies, they're very confident going into Game 3 as the Series is back in Philly, where the Phillies have had an overpowerng home-field advantage against their opponents, just like the Yanks in the new Stadium. Citizens Bank Park will be rocking, and the Yanks will really need to focus. But with a struggling lefty in Cole Hamels starting for the Phillies, the Yanks may actually have the edge even though they're playing at the Bank. Hamels, the hero for the Phillies last October, has had a horrid postseason, sporting a 6.75 ERA in 2 starts. He actually nearly blew the lead for the Phillies in Game 5 of the NLCS, but Charlie Manuel took him out before the Dodgers could tee-off him any longer. So the Phillies will really need to cross their fingers here if they want to win this game.

All in all, I really think the Yankees have the edge here. Pettitte has been great all year, while Hamels has been very inconsistent and very well may get bombed tonight in Philadelphia. I see Pettitte going 6 plus of 2 or 3-run ball, and I think the Yankees will come away with the Game 3 win.

Good Job Yankee Fans

Something I'd like to touch on really quick is that I like that Yankee fans have not booed Alex Rodriguez yet despite going 0 for 8 with 6 strikeouts in the first 2 games of the World Series. He's really been the reason we are in the Fall Classic, so even if he doesn't contribute in the final games of the Series, he's still a very big part of our quest for a 27th World Championship.

New Projected Pitching Matchups

Well Charlie Manuel threw us all a curveball by announcing his plans to start Joe Blanton in Game Four rather than going with Cliff Lee on three days rest. Barring a similarly stupid decision from Girardi, this is what we're looking at for pitching matchups for the rest of the series. I'll throw in games one and two as well just for the hell of it.

Game One- Sabathia/Lee

Game Two- Burnett/Martinez

Game Three- Pettitte/Hamels

Game Four- Sabathia/Blanton

Game Five- Burnett/Lee

Game Six- Pettitte/Martinez (!)

Game Seven- Sabathia/Hamels

I understand why Manuel made this move with Lee's lack of experience on three days rest. However, it makes me much more confident about the Yankees chances when I know that Lee only has one game left in the series, rather than two. With Lee going on three days rest, I was having a tough time seeing the Yanks wrangle this series back from Philly. However, now I see the Yanks having the pitching advantage. I still think this is going to go the distance with the Yankees finally coming out on top

Rain PPD Jay-Z, To Perform Before Game 2

From Sam Borden at LoHud:

The performance by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys has been postponed until tomorrow night. Instead of doing “Empire State of Mind” before Game 1, the weather has forced MLB to make it part of the pre-game for Game 2. Seems there were concerns that the set-up of the stage and other equipment might have damaged the field if it was all wet, so the show was pushed back a day.

The whole post is here.- He talks about other things that have happened today, most of which Greg has put up already.

Sucks, at least he'll rap before Game 2.

Yankees-Phillies Pitching Comparison: Part Two

So here's the second, and final part of this series.

The Bullpens- This has been really the only dissapointment so far for the Yankees. What was supposed to be a huge strength has turned out to not really be all that great after all. Phil Hughes has not been nearly as good as he was in the regular season in the eight inning. Joba Chamberlain has also failed to become the shutdown reliever that people anticipated him being. I don't have all that much faith in the two lefties either, though I have to admit they've gotten the job done so far. On the bright side, David Robertson has gotten them some huge outs and I have to think that Girardi is going to go to him in some big spots now. And of course you can't forget about Mariano Rivera. The greatest closer in baseball history has shown no signs of aging so far this October. What he does blows my mind and their isn't anybody that compares. I have to think that Hughes is going to figure things out to. If he does get going then D-Rob, Hughes, and Mariano are going to be a very potent late inning combination. The newly added Brian Bruney is an X factor, as well. He's as inconsistent as anybody in baseball and they might just be able to catch lightning in a bottle with him in this final series.

The Phillies came into the postseason with a less heralded, but similar bullpen. Some of their stats are very similar to the Yankees. However, they lacked the big names that the Yankees possessed. For example, instead of the great Mariano, they have the enigmatic Brad Lidge closing games out for them. The guy is truly one of the oddest cases in all of baseball. Sometimes he appears to be among the truly elite closers in the game. Other times he's barely suitable as a mop up man. For most of this year Phillies fans saw the bad Brad Lidge who put up and ERA over 7.00. However, he's been dominating for them in the postseason. Its an interesting situation with Lidge, as it always seems to be. Ryan Madson is the other guy that will get a good chunk of the Phillies innings. He's been pretty good for three straight years now. His 3.23 FIP and 4.20 tRA won't blow anybody away but its solid enough. After that things drop off a bit. Unless we see some early exits from Phillies pitchers or extra inning games, the only other guy worth noting is Scott Eyre who could come in for lefties.

Despite the struggles of Hughes and Chamberlain in the playoffs, I give the Yankees a solid edge here. It really boils down to one guy, Mariano Rivera. Their just aren't enough superlatives to describe him. He's just the best, period. On the other hand, if you feel like the game's over when Brad Lidge comes into a game, you just haven't been paying attention. The Yankees will get that eighth figured out and both Coke and Marte can take care of any lefties that Philly throws at them.

Prediction- Yankees in seven- This is going to be the toughest obstacle this team team has faced yet. Against all the other teams they've faced, whether it be the Red Sox, Twins, or Angels, they've had the clear edge on paper. However, against the Phillies their is no clear-cut pitching advantage. The three Lee-Sabathia games are toss-ups, the Yankees should win the two Burnett-Pedro games, and the Phillies should take both of the Pettitte-Hamels games. Ultimately, I think the Yanks bullpen will help them steal that extra game or two they need. I think we'll see another pie or two before the season is over. I'm also picking Nick Swisher for World Series MVP.

Go Yankees!

Pedro: I Bring Fear To The Fans

From Steve Popper:

He is the enemy, the villain, the most glorious outsider ever to invade Yankee Stadium. There is no opponent who incites such passion – and venom – from Yankee fans. And he knows it.

“It feels great to have the opportunity to be probably the player that captures the most attention ever between the fans, the people in New York, the stadium,” Pedro Martinez said, sitting at a table in the Great Hall at Yankee Stadium. “I might be the only player that brings fear to the fans. I’m talking to the fans – without throwing a pitch.”

Geeez, the Phillies sure like to talk a lot, don't they?

Pedro also described his past experiences dealing with the Yankee faithful:

“It’s never been nice here for me in the other stadium,” Martinez said. “Whatever comes, if there’s a boo, it’s out of respect. If there’s a clap, it’s out of respect. Anything that they do it’s acknowledging that I’m there.

“I take it all as a positive, regardless of what happens. The fans are here to have fun, to do what they wish. [As long as] they don’t cross that little white line that says hey don’t engage that area, and I don’t think they should, they have no reason to, I would be pleased with whatever. If they boo me it’s out of respect, just like they do to guys like [Derek] Jeter and those guys at any other place because they compete at the level they compete at.”

He can take it as a positive, but in reality a lot of Yankees fans genuinely hate him. Sure, Yankees fans will boo good players just they're good, and I guess that's a sign of respect. But that's never been the case with Pedro. In the Bronx the loudest boos are reserved for players we hate, and you certainly have received some of the loudest boos I've ever heard.

But since he likes being acknowledged so much I have a suggestion for how fans at game two should deal with Pedro: Don't make a sound. Don't boo him when he takes the mound, don't boo him when they announce his name, don't even acknowledge him.

The Breakfast That Saved A-Rod

This breakfast took place just two days prior to A-Rod first at-bat of the season, a home run off Jeremy Guthrie in Baltimore. It seems like Yankees fans owe the people at this meeting a big thank you for their efforts. I would have to say their methods worked.

From Ian O'Conner:

“I sat down with two very close friends and they told me a lot of things,” Rodriguez said Tuesday, “things that I had to change. They showed me tough love, and I thought from that breakfast on I’ve stayed with the plan and it’s been a good plan.”

Gui Socarras, a longtime friend, and Jason Zillo, the Yankees’ director of media relations and an official close to A-Rod, arranged the breakfast at the diner on North Dale Mabry. This was in the first week of May, when the Yankees were in town to play the Rays.

In effect, Socarras and Zillo told Rodriguez he needed to stop acting like a horse’s rump.

“I’m glad I had two good friends that were very honest with me,” A-Rod said, “and told me the way it was.”

“It was obvious in spring training I’d hit rock bottom,” Rodriguez said, “and I think you can only hit your head against the wall so many times before you figure out there’s another way to get to the other side of the wall. And for some of us it’s taken a little longer.”

“I knew I couldn’t change a lot of the mistakes I made off the field,” he said, “or my shortcomings on the field, whether it was October or the regular season. I knew I had an opportunity with nine years ahead of me to do things right both on and off the field.”

Rodriguez says that he's "definitely rediscovered the joy of playing baseball again,” and has "grown a lot" as a player and a person. He also feels "liberated" since he became more of a team-first guy, and explains how his relationships with his teammates have changed for the better. “I’ve had more dinners, I’ve had more get-togethers, more parties with my teammates,” A-Rod said, “than I have in my combined six years here.”

The proof is in the pudding. We've seen all year how different A-Rod is, not only on the field but off the field as well. He handles the media better, recovered from his chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome, and hasn't spent too much time on Page Six--at least not for hanging out with muscular strippers. His performance this October is just more proof that he's in a much better place mentally than he has been during his Yankee career, maybe longer.

Coming into this season I was worried that the Yankees would be "stuck" with A-Rod for the next 9 seasons. The hip surgery, the steroid stuff, and his overall rocky first five seasons in the Bronx can do that to ya. But right now I'm not too worried about that anymore.

Yankees-Phillies Position Comparisons

Yanks, baby, back in the Fall Classic. 4 wins for #27. The Phillies are gonna be a tough team to beat, the defending champs will be looking to win their 3 World Title. They've got an American League lineup- very much like the Yankees. They hit home runs, but when they need to, they'll get that timely hit. Here's a position by position comparison of baseball's best teams.

Catcher: Jorge Posada vs Carlos Ruiz

Posada: .285 AVG, 22 HR, 81 RBI, .363 OBP, .522 SLG; Postseason- .258 AVG, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Ruiz: .255 AVG, 9 HR, 43 RBI, .355 OBP, .425 SLG; Post.- .346 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI

Posada was a great offensive catcher, like usual, during the regular season, in contrast to Ruiz, who wasn't. This postseason, it has been a different story. Ruiz has been tearing up at the bottom of the order for the Phils. Posada's been here more than Ruiz, and you can definitely expect him to snap out of it. Posada's obviously a better hitter, much more so than Ruiz is better defensively.
Edge: Yankees

1st Base - Mark Teixeira vs Ryan Howard

Teixeira: .292 AVG, 39 HR, 122 RBI, .383 OBP, .565 SLG; Post.- .205 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Howard: .279 AVG, 45 HR, 141 RBI, .360 OBP, .571 SLG; Post.- .355 AVG, 2 HR, 14 RBI

This is a tough one. Teixeira has really been in a funk in his 1st postseason with the Yanks, basically, with two big hits, that's it. Howard, has been his normal self. Huge numbers and he's the Phils' main power threat, even though they have a ton of them. Teixeira is far superior in the field, though. Hopefully Teixeira will turn it around at the plate, but right now, Howard it is.
Edge: Phillies

2nd Base - Robinson Cano vs Chase Utley

Cano: .320 AVG, 25 HR, 85 RBI, .352 OBP, .520 OBP; Post.- .229 AVG, 0 HR, 5 RBI
Utley: .282 AVG, 31 HR, 91 RBI, .397 OBP, .508 OBP; Post.- .303 AVG, 1 HR, 2 RBI

Another tough one, seems that there are going to be a lot of these here. Utley is a more power oriented hitter, but he can get his hits. Cano was a great hitter during the year, but that hasn't shown up during the PS, like many of the Yankee hitters. Cano's defense, though, seems to be light years ahead of Utley's especially in the PS. These are two really good players and there isn't much that separates them. Edge: EVEN

Shortstop - Derek Jeter vs Jimmy Rollins

Jeter: .334 AVG, 18 HR, 66 RBI, .406 OBP, 30 SBs; Post.- .297 AVG, 3 HR, 5 RBI
Rollins: .250 AVG, 21 HR, 77 RBI, .296 OBP, .423 SLG; Post.- .244 AVG, 0 HR, 3 RBI

Wow. I thought this one was going to be a lot closer than it was when I was about to write this up, then I saw Rollins' stats. Jeter had a career year, defensively and offensively, Rollins did not. I don't think there's much else to say.
Edge: Yankees

3rd Base - Alex Rodriguez vs Pedro Feliz

Rodriguez: .286 AVG, 30 HR, 100 RBI, .402 OBP, .532 SLG; Post.- .438 AVG, 5 HR, 12 RBI
Feliz: .266 AVG, 12 HR, 82 RBI, .308 OBP, .386 SLG; Post- .161 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI

A-Rod is having a historic postseason, he had a great season as well. Feliz is a very good hitter, it's just not showing up in the PS so far. They are very even in the field, but Rodriguez' fielding is just too much for Feliz to compare.
Edge: Yankees

Left Field - Johnny Damon vs Raul Ibanez

Damon: .282 AVG, 24 HR, 82 RBI, .365 OBP, 12/12 in SBs; Post.- .238 AVG, 2 HR, 5 RBI
Ibanez: .272 AVG, 34 HR, 93 RBI, .347 OBP, .552 SLG; Post.- .226 AVG, 1 HR, 9 RBI

Ibanez was in the MVP conversation until he got hurt and slowed down (hey that's what the NL will do for a aging outfielder!). Damon really took advantage of his new ballpark, and blasted a career high in home runs. They both aren't exactly what I'd call gold glovers in the OF, though. Damon has more speed than Ibanez by far, also.
Edge: EVEN

Center Field - Melky Cabrera vs Shane Victorino

Cabrera: .274 AVG, 13 HR, 68 RBI, .336 OBP, .416 SLG; Post.- .314 AVG, 4 RBI
Victorino: .292 AVG, 10 HR, 62 RBI, .358 OBP, 25 SBs; Post.- .361 AVG, 3 HR, 7 RBI

Cabrera has put up decent numbers in the PS so far, but Shane Victorino beats him out in about every way possible. Melky did have more HRs and RBIs, possibly because Victorino's a leadoff man, and Shane also is gold glove caliber in the OF and matches Melky's arm strength.
Edge: Phillies

Right Field - Nick Swisher vs Jayson Werth

Swisher: .249 AVG, 29 HR, 82 RBI, .371 OBP, .498 SLG; Post.- .125 AVG, 1 RBI
Werth: .268 AVG, 36 HR, 99 RBI, .373 OBP, .506 SLG; Post.- .281 AVG, 5 HR, 10 RBI

I think this is a very easy answer. As I said in the ALCS preview, Swisher has helped and helps the Yankees in other ways, just not offensively. He has been a liability at the plate this PS. Plain and simple. Werth, on the other hand, is having a monster postseason. He has been the NL's A-Rod. He had a great regular season and he is gold glove caliber in the OF.
Edge: Phillies

Designated Hitter - Hideki Matsui vs Matt Stairs/Greg Dobbs

Matsui: .274 AVG, 28 HR, 90 RBI, .367 OBP, .509 SLG; Post.- .233 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI
Stairs: .194 AVG, 5 HR, 17 RBI, .357 OBP, .379 SLG; Post.- 0/2, 2 BBs
Dobbs: .247 AVG, 5 HR, 20 RBI, .296 OBP, .383 SLG; Post.- 0/4

Philly is lucky they don't have to play every game with a DH. Back in May, when in Yankee Stadium, they used a better fielding outfielder twice and used Ibanez as a DH (Mayberry Jr. as the outfielder). Their DH/OF, in this case Matt Stairs in John Mayberry Jr. went a combined 3/13, with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 3 Ks. Matsui is the more experienced DH, and obviously has better numbers than Stairs/Dobbs/Cairo/Mayberry (I don't know who they'll use or who they even have on the roster).
Edge: Yankees

Managers - Joe Girardi vs Charlie Manuel

Girardi: 3 years, 270-216, 06 MOY, 1 Divison Title, 1 AL Pennant
Manuel: 8 years, 667-553, 2 NL Pennants, 2 Division Titles, 1 WS Title

Manuel seems to be a good manager, I mean why else would he be here? I really don't know much about him, but from what I've seen he's handled the Lidge- Closer or not, situation very well and has gotten back his dominant closer. Girardi has been dissected by people like me his whole 2 years in the Bronx, but has brought back a pennant to NY. He still seems like he doesn't know how to run a bullpen, though.
Edge: Phillies

Bench: Yanks have so much depth off their bench, Hinske Guzman or Ramiro Pena as that last guy. Phillies seem like they rely on Stairs and Cairo to do most of the work off the bench, which isn't much.
Edge: Yankees

Pitching has been reviewed already, so I'll just leave it at this, the Yankees have much stronger pitching. Oustide of Lee, Lidge, and Madson, the Phils don't have much else. Hamels has been shaky, at best. Edge: Yanks

MY PREDICTION: Yanks in 6. I think the Yanks will do what they did to the Angels, take 3 at home, and 1 in Philly. But I would not be surprised if this series went 7 games.

I'm so pumped right now, can't wait for Jay-Z to hit the series off tomorrow, then gametime baby.

GET READY FOR THE WORLD SERIES, LETS GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday Night Open Thread: World Series Edition

- ESPN is once again picking the Yankees. I know, I'm surprised myself, but that's three series in a row now, so maybe they just know how good the Yanks are.

- We already heard about the Yankees adding Eric Hinske to the WS roster, but the Phillies also made a move adding right-hand pitcher Brett Myers to the roster and dropped utility man Miguel Cairo.

- Just in case the Yankees need a fourth starter this series they've begun stretching out Chad Gaudin. He left today's media session early to throw a simulated game. I don't know about you, but I really hope he doesn't have to start.

- The umpires for the series will be Gerry Davis, Jeff Nelson, Brian Gorman, Mike Everitt, Dana DeMuth, and Joe West.

- First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Jill Biden will be on hand for tomorrow's World Series opener. This means that security will be very tight, so if you're going to the game make sure you arrive a little earlier than normal.

- According to an Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll released today, most Americans are picking the Yankees to win the series and A-Rod to take home the MVP. According to the article, fans are picking the Yankees "by nearly a 2-to-1 ratio," and 32 percent of people are picking A-Rod to win the MVP.

- Three F/A-18 Hornets will fly over Yankee Stadium tomorrow night prior to the 7:57 p.m. first pitch. Flyovers are always cool.

- By the way, did anyone catch the front cover of the NY Post today:

Yankees-Phillies Pitching Comparisons: Part One

This is the fourth time this year I'm making one of these pitching comparison posts. The first was way back in March over at the Chuck Knoblog and things have changed big-time since then. Its a little longer than I originally anticipated and I've decided to split it up into two posts. One for the starters and one for the bullpen and my final prediction for the Series. I'd appreciate any feedback you have on this. Hope you like it.

These two teams are very evenly matched on both sides of the ball. Particularly so in the area of pitching though. Charlie Manuel decided to make the right decision (unlike Mike Scioscia) and has announced that he's going with a three man rotation of Lee-Pedro-Hamels. Whether Pedro and Hamels should be switched is another discussion entirely but that's what we have to look forward to over the next week or so. The Yanks will counter with Sabathia-Burnett-Pettitte.

Games 1, 4, and 7- Lee/Sabathia- These guys are projected to pitch up to three of the potential seven games this series and we could see some intense pitching duels when these two guys are on the hill. We all know what C.C.'s done this year. He ate up innings and was great doing it in the regular season, if slightly dissapointing. In the postseason, however, he has dominated the opposition. His first start against the Twins was great but its been overshadowed by his MVP worthy ALCS. Two straight eight inning, one run performances are impressive no matter what. When you consider the second was on short rest, its even more impressive

The reigning AL CYA winner will be going for the other side. Cliff Lee, this year, joined the long list of pitchers that made the transition from AL to NL and saw their numbers suddenly jump after his midseason trade to Philadelphia. Not that he was bad before then, his season numbers are sparkling. His FIP (3.11) is right in line with his ERA (3.22). He has a K/BB of 4.21 and his tRA of 3.97 is only a couple ticks above Sabathia's. This postseason he's also made three starts. He started things off for the Phillies with a complete game, one run performance. Most recently he threw eight shutout innings against Los Angeles in a blowout victory. Sandwhiched in between is a seven and 1/3 innings, three run performance.

Their is no clear cut favorite in these games. Both guys are legitimate aces and have few question marks about whether they can handle October baseball. I'd be shocked in they don't split these three games 2-1. My prediction is that whoever wins the majority of these matchups is going to win the World Series.

Games 2 and 5- Burnett/Martinez- For compelling storylines, it doesn't get much better than this. Forget about everything else for just a minute and you can sum these games up in a single sentence. Pedro's back in the Bronx. Pedro is going to get a chance to prove all the doubters wrong on the biggest stage on earth against his "daddy." Its been a weird year for Pedro, he sat the first half out waiting for an offer before the Phillies finally came calling. He's not nearly what he used to be, he relies much more on his control than he ever did before and he outperformed his periphereals by a mile. His FIP of 4.28 is solid and his tRA of 5.97 is dreadful. He's not the big time strikeout pitcher you want on the mound in the postseason either. However, he was fantastic in his one postseason start this year and Pedro is no stranger to the big game.

On the other hand, we have A.J. Burnett. Its his first World Series since 2003 when he basically sat on the bench for a few games. He got the huge contract in the offseason and was mostly dissapointing in the regular season. However, if you really look at the stats he turned in a typical A.J. year. He racked up the K's in huge numbers but also walked a ton and seemed to take some time to adjust to the early home run tendencies of Yankee Stadium. His ERA was a very solid 4.04 but his FIP was 4.33 and his tRA 4.74. Not what you're looking for from a guy making as much money as he is, for as long a time as he will be. The Yankees didn't bring him in for the regular season though. He's a power pitcher and figures to do better in the playoffs than most others. In the playoffs he's thrown two good games and one bad one. The bad one came most recently but it wasn't really disastrous and its hopefully just a blip on the screen.

Burnett, like Pedro, wildly outperformed his periphereals this year. At first glance, their stats may appear to be pretty comparable, as well. However, when it gets right down it, Burnett is worlds better than Pedro at this point in their careers. That difference in tRA just can't be ignored and the Yankees really should win both of these games. That said, Burnett is renowned for his inconsistency and it is possible that Pedro could pull a miracle at the end of his career. I think they split these two but the Yanks really could take both of them.

Games 3 and 6-Pettitte/Hamels-A story that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves is that this may be the last time we see Andy Pettitte pitching in the Fall Classic for the New York Yankees. We saw his periphereals dip this year and he's been talking retirement for seemingly forever. The Yankees idea of what he's worth may not be quite on the same level as Pettitte's own. I think he'll be back and I'm hoping against it, however, this could be another ugly divorce that Yankees fans really don't need. If he is back, who knows if next year's team will have what it takes to make it this far? This could be Andy's last chance to get that fifth ring and I wouldn't be surprised to see big game Andy deliver on that huge postseason reputation. His numbers this year wouldn't blow anybody away but he's been steadily above average.

This time last year, Cole Hamels was getting ready to pitch Game One of the World Series and earned his own big game reputation with a fantastic postseason. He won both the NLCS and World Series MVP awards. He went 4-0 and had a 1.80 ERA overall. The fact that he's been bumped down to Game Three is a reflection of his recent performance more than anything else. The Phillies lefty hasn't come anywhere close to replicating his dazzling 2008 October this year. He's made three starts and not one of them have been "quality starts." He also was victimized by a high BABIP in the regular season. It was about 20 points higher than his career average and about 50 points higher than what it was last year. As a result, he put up the highest ERA of his career, that was a still solid 4.32. His FIP of 3.72 and his tRA of 4.51 where right in line with his career norms and in reality he is still every bit the borderline ace that he has been in years past.

I think the Yankees definitely caught a break with Manuel making Hamels his #3 instead of his #2 guy. Hamels is a top of the line pitcher who has proven he can suceed in October baseball. He can shut an offensive down and is probably the best pitcher on either team not named Sabathia, Rivera, or Lee. Pettitte is still a damn good pitcher who can come up huge in big games but he's at the tail-end of his career. I could see Andy making the magic happen one more time but the Phillies should win these two games.

Yankee Rally In NYC Tomorrow

According to Newsday, the city will be holding a Yankees pep rally tomorrow afternoon in Times Square. Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be hosting the even which begins at 12:30 p.m. And the city is encouraging fans to wear their Yankees gear to work and school to show support.

Any of you people going to go to the rally?

Yanks Looking To Win One For The Boss

Here's some quotes from some members of the Yankees family via George A. King III:

The Yankees know the value Steinbrenner places on defeating the Phillies to cop their 27th World Series title.

"It means a lot to him," Derek Jeter said. "He expects us to win."

"It would be a great way to honor him," general manager Brian Cashman said of beating the Phillies. "If we do, you are going to see a lot of attention surround him."

"It would mean a lot to him and it would mean a lot to the boys," [Reggie] Jackson said. "That is a very close-knit family and they understand the timing of winning this championship."

"I think it means a lot to my dad," Hal [Steinbrenner] said. "All these players are doing it for him. We want to win this whole thing for him and I think we feel he's here. He's a big part of it."

Speaking of Hal Steinbrenner, is it just me or is he getting more and more like his father?

Doesn't this sound like George: “This team played like a family all year long, They picked each other up when somebody was down. They’ve got hearts of lions. They never give up. They’ve earned this, every bit of it.”

Or this: “They’re a tough team. They’ve had a couple more days off than us. We’ll see how that plays out. But we’re pretty confident in ourselves. We got a great team. These guys get along. There’s a lot of ability, and we’re going to give them a run for their money.”

Or this: "It's not easy to get here, no matter what your payroll is or who you have on your team. But we're here and we're going to give the Phillies hell, and we expect to win a championship."

If you're not picking up on the similarities Jack Curry breaks it all down here.