World Series a Match-up of the True Best

Dude, I’m tellin ya……….

So tonite is the start of the World Series. Even though I’m a rabid baseball fan, I’ve never gotten too excited about the Series. I kind of like the playoffs themselves a little better than the World Series. And even the playoffs don’t grab me if one of the two Chicago teams isn’t in ’em. By the time the Series starts, football and hockey are already going. Now it takes so damn long for baseball to get to the big show that the NBA has started its season too. So by this point, if the Sox or Cubs aren’t involved, I’m more inclined to watch a regular season Blackhawks game over a W.S. game.

Maybe it has something to do with interleague play as well. I’m a baseball traditionalist. I’m slow to embrace change in many aspects of my life. But in baseball, I liked the competitiveness of the All-Star game when I was a kid. They’re trying to recapture it again these days after the game had become a snore-fest. And when I was a kid, obviously there was no interleague play. When two teams met in the Series, there was no chance they had played each other since spring training. No one in the AL had played anyone in the NL—–except for the hotly contested All-Star game. Now the two teams in the Series may have played each other six times already in a home-and-home series during the season.

But whatever. The grand stage starts tonite between the Yankees and the Phillies. I was hoping for this match-up when the playoffs started. To me, these were the two teams who have the most talent-laden lineups. When I watch a championship game in any sport, I want it to be between the two best teams…..period.

I am NOT an underdog kind of guy. I don’t get off when a David slays a Goliath. I actually hate it when a .500 team in the regular season makes the NBA playoffs and knocks off a team that won 58 games. Hockey and basketball let so many teams into their postseasons, it makes you wonder why there’s even a regular season? One team kicks ass thru 82 games and wins 58 of them. Better than 2/3 of their games. And some other team that struggled to win exactly half of their contests not only qualifies for the postseason, but then gets lucky for 4-5 games and eliminates the truly better team. It’s bullshit. Unless it’s the Chicago Bulls doing it to somebody. Then it’s just fine with me.

And I’m only talking about a really average team that just barely slips into the playoffs. If the Chicago Bears were to go 13-3 one year and lose in the playoffs to a team that was 10-6, then that’s disappointing—but tolerable. But if they lost to an 8-8 team that eeked its way into the playoffs on the last day of the season just because another team had lost their final game…….that’s when it sucks. Unless it’s the Bears doing it to somebody. Then it’s just fine with me.

See the pattern here?

But at least in the baseball playoffs this year, four of the very best teams made the divisional championships. So no matter who made it to the Series, they could all claim to be deserving this time. I’m just glad that of the four teams, the Dodgers didn’t make it. I saw them as the weakest of the four possibles. They’re a good team, but I thought the Angels, Yanks, and Phillies were better.

I have to give credit to Dodgers manager Joe Torre, though. George and Hank Steinbrenner wanted him to take a pay cut after leading the team to the postseason for like 11 straight years. Sure, they hadn’t been to the Series in 3 or 4 seasons, but they always made the playoffs. I’ll take that with the Sox for a decade. So they forced this future Hall of Fame manager out of town and he lands on his feet with the Dodgers. Last year, he makes the playoffs (as usual) and sweeps the Cubs in the first round to make the divisional championship. Now this year, he makes the playoffs (as usual) and AGAIN sweeps his opponent in the first round to make the division finals. True, he has lost in those finals both years. But does this guy know how to lead a team or what?

So back to the big match-up. Both teams have great starting lineups from top to bottom. Both teams #8 hitters in the order could probably hit as high as 5th or 6th in any other big-league lineup. Both shortstops were on the US Baseball Classic team earlier this year. So were about 9 or 10 other players for their respective countries. I think what it will come down to is what it almost always comes down to in baseball. I learned it from my dad many years ago.

Pitching, pitching, pitching.

And I think the Yankees have the edge. The Philles have a bullpen that often looks as bad as the WhiteSox bullpen did this year. And that was god-awful horseshit. Phillies closer Brad Lidge is a roll of the dice this year. Meanwhile, the Yankees have the greatest closer in history cruising along on a great hot streak. And after the Phillies start Cliff Lee in game 1 tonite, there is a steep decline after that. The Yankees have CC Sabathia go up against Lee tonite, but then can still turn to Andy Pettite and AJ Burnett. Fantasy baseball guys know that Petitte is one of the greatest second-half pitchers and postseason pitchers in history. His career marks after the All Star break dwarf his numbers prior to the break. And he’s doing it again this year.

So I see the Yankees taking this in six games. Call your bookie. Bet the pink slip on your car. The kid’s college fund. Remember……I’m the guy who said the Bears would be a .500 team this year. And they’re 3-3 so far.

Guess I don’t have to worry about this being the year they go 13-3 and get upset in the playoffs.