Our World Series matchup is set as it'll be the Bronx Bombers vs the Fightin' Phils. This WS promises to be one of the best in recent memory (knock on wood). You have the stars, the stories, and the traditional teams all on the table for this series. And, most of all, the Yankees are back, ha ha ha. So, let's go around the horn with our 5-4-3 Roundup and look at how we got here from the LCS, a mini WS preview (full version coming Wednesday)... and 3 Bizarro World moments from the week.
5 LCS Observations
1) Thanks For Playing LA -
Well, so much for the Dodgers showing up and giving the Phillies a true test. Their pitching stunk (especially the bullpen), they never got clutch hits, and they were outplayed from beginning to end. Eh, it's not like Dodger fans care anyways.
2) And That Other LA Team... - The Halos looked rattled throughout the ALCS. They were finally done in last night with those errors in the bottom of the 8th inning. This wasn't the same team that had played so well against Boston and beat the Yanks in previous years.
3) Umpiring Woes - We said there'd be controversy, and thankfully the boys in blue (or black I guess) provided it. The 3rd Base double out call was the most glaring, but referees in all of sports have been under fire recently. But, please, don't add expansive replay to baseball, I'll live with the "human error"... I can't spend 6 hours watching a game.
4) Philly Fanaticism - This just in... the Phillies are a darn good team. Jayson Werth and Jimmy Rollins stepped up with clutch hits in the series, Ryan Howard played well, and even Brad Lidge got in the act! This may be the most underrated team in any sport the last few years.
5) Yankee Yuks - As much as America might not like it, this Yankee team is one that you can root for. This bunch sure looks like a different group than last year because they're simply playing the game and having fun. I haven't seen a Yankee team look this loose and relaxed in all my years of following the Yanks. Heck, even A-Rod is getting clutch hits and looking comfortable! Hey, 2012 is right around the corner....
4 Key World Series Matchups
1) Lee v Sabathia -
This is a huge matchup in Game 1 and if they are paired up down the road in future games. In fact, these 2 former Cleveland pitchers and Cy Young winners could decide the series. It will be fascinating to see these two former teammates duke it out when it matters most.
2) Closing The Deal -
The Rivera v Lidge duel is a huge advantage to the Yankees. Rivera is simply the best of all time, while the first words used to describe Brad Lidge are usually some form of shaky and/or skittery (I think that last one is made up...). Lidge has the potential to go all 2001 Byung-Hyun Kim in this series, and that's good for the Bombers. Maybe some October magic will return to the Bronx.
3) A-Rod v R-Ho - Ok, first, Ryan Howard needs a good nickname, obviously R-Ho isn't going to cut it. These two sluggers have been awesome this entire season and it could come down to which team's big star will carry the day and get the clutch hits when it matters most.
4) The Chess Game - This isn't so much Charlie Manuel vs Joe Girardi as much as it is Joe Girardi vs Joe Girardi. The Yankee skipper was accused of vastly overmanaging in the LCS, and has to avoid that temptation in the World Series. The grizzled Manuel has been a great influence on Philly and been here before, while Girardi hasn't. Watch the managers to see if one makes a brilliant or stupid move to decide a game.
3 Huh? Stories
1) The Cleveland Indians - As if fans of Tribe Time haven't had a bad enough couple years, your two former Cy Young winners are now starting against each other in Game 1 of the World Series!!! Are you kidding? What is this franchise thinking? That LCS appearance now seems like 20 years ago instead of 2. They were a game away from the World Series in 2007. Now... well, at least some of their castoffs are there! But, at least Cleveland fans have hope for the future:
-The prospects that you got for these WS stars stink.
-Your roster is one of the least talented in the league.
-There are more pigeons in your ballpark than Indians fans (I was there, I know)
-You just hired Manny Acta to lead your team to the Promised Land! Yes, that Manny Acta who managed the Nationals and has a 38.5 winning percentage!
At least the Browns are doing well and LBJ is going to New York soon! Cleveland rocks!
2) The Steve Phillips Story Debuts on Lifetime this Friday! - By now, you probably know all the sorted details of Steve Phillips' love affair with an ESPN staffer. Kudos to Bristol for releasing the news on a Sunday NFL afternoon (a Presidential administration couldn't hide news better, clap clap). The whole Deadspin/ESPN saga has gripped the blogosphere with the blogging giants threatening to unfurl all of Bristol's dirty laundry. The two stories need separated though. Steve Philips deserved to be canned for his shoddy analysis, and this is just the icing on the cake. Do you remember those fake press conferences starring Steve-O? I think "Who's Now" was a better idea. Phillips had a history of promiscuity and obviously needs to get his life together.
Secondly, the Deadspin crusade, while entertaining for some, is pretty vile behavior. I was most troubled with outing the exec who no sports fan knows or cares about. OK, so Deadspin doesn't like that ESPN didn't tell the whole truth about Steve Phillips... do you expect them to just leak that to a blog? Seriously? It seems like Bristol could be the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah, but plastering rumors and trying to ruin folks' lives is just plain sickening. The behavior that goes on at ESPN evidently needs some serious assessment, but this is the absolute worst way to go about it.
3) Welcome Back Big Mac? - After 8 years hiding out in the Unabomber's shack, Mark McGwire is going to come back to the St. Louis Cardinals as a hitting coach? What's his advice going to be? Take this needle and get jacked? Here's a bottle of andro - figure out your swing on your own? Is he going to tell his players that he's not here to talk about the past when they ask him for advice? Tony La Russa is going to open up a whole can of worms by having Big Mac back in baseball. Don't forget, his last meaningful public appearance was that atrocity on Capitol Hill.
Don't you think he's going to have to answer those questions throughout his tenure? If Big Mac has a place at all in the majors it's with Tony La Russa in St. Louis. Evidently, the Cards think he can be a great hitting coach, but is it worth the circus? If it goes well, maybe he'll be forgiven like Papi, A-Rod, Andy and Manny and his public image will be restored... or the pressure might be too much and he'll join Sosa, Bonds, and Clemens and move back to Parts Unknown.
You didn't think we'd give away our picks did you? Check back Wednesday before Game 1 for our full World Series preview as we will tell you who will take home the title, and check back later tonight for the YCS and Heisman Watch in College Pig.
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