Ugh. Start spreading the news....

The New York Yankees have won their 27th World Championship. Just in case you were keeping track, that is 17 more than the next closest team (the St. Louis Cardinals have 10 titles). Even though I would much rather see the Yankees win it all as opposed to Boston or Minnesota, I think I'm still going to take a day off to stew over this. I have homework I need to finish, anyway. I'll come back tomorrow with something more thoughtful to say. Congratulations to the Yankees, and may my beloved White Sox destroy you and your overpaid team next year.

Eight Years Ago Today....

The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees in Game Seven, 3-2, to win what was arguably the best World Series ever played. The Series that year had all the elements to create an absolute classic. There was the Yankees, seeking their fourth consecutive World Title, and they had extra incentive behind them because of what happened to New York in the 9/11 tragedy. They wanted to help the city heal. There was also the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that was not even in existence the last time the Yankees failed to win the World Series. They were loaded with aging, yet experienced veterans that knew their window of opportunity of getting a championship was rapidly closing. That was the incentive that was driving them. Combine those two elements, and you are ready for an absolute thriller.

The Diamondbacks took Games One and Two of the World Series at home in rather convincing fashion, winning the first game 9-1 and shutting out the Yankees in Game Two, 4-0. When the Series scene shifted to New York for Game Three, that's when all of the fun began.

Roger Clemens out-dueled Diamondbacks starter Brian Anderson in Game Three 2-1, to notch the Yankees' first victory. However, the Series was just heating up. In Game Four, the Yankees entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by a 3-1 score. This was thanks in large part to the efforts of Arizona starter Curt Schilling, who over-matched the Yankees' hitters over the course of seven innings pitched. Byung-Hyun Kim came on in relief of Curt Schilling after that, struck out the side in the eighth, and by the bottom of the ninth, was looking to put Arizona up 3-1 in the World Series.

Kim induced a ground-out from Derek Jeter to lead off the inning before surrendering a single to Paul O'Neill. Unfazed, he struck out Bernie Williams swinging for the second out. Arizona seemed to have the game in the bag until Tino Martinez stepped up to the plate. On the very first pitch Martinez saw, he walloped a two-run homer to tie the game, and saved the team from certain doom. Yankee Stadium was in a frenzy.

Kim would get out of the inning without any more damage, but his night was not over. He came back into the game in the bottom of the tenth, got the first two outs in easy fashion, before surrendering a game-winning home run to Derek Jeter. The clock was just past midnight on November 1, and the moniker of "Mr. November" was quickly placed on Derek Jeter.

The next night, the Diamondbacks were in the same position as the night before. One man on with two out, and Byung-Hyun Kim was back in the game to try to close it out. One more out, and Arizona would go back home up 3-2. The score was 2-0 and Scott Brosius was the hitter. On the second pitch he saw, he drilled it into the left field stands to tie the game. Two consecutive nights and two consecutive times the Yankees were down to their final out, and they managed to tie the game both times.

However, the Yankees were not finished. In the bottom of the twelfth inning, and with Albie Lopez on the mound for Arizona, the Yankees would pull out another extra-inning victory. Alfonso Soriano's game-winning single put the Yankees up 3-2 in the Series. The momentum seemed to be in their favor.

To quote Lee Corso from "College Gameday" on ESPN, "not so fast, my friend." The Diamondbacks exacted their revenge on the Yankees for the debacle in New York by slamming them 15-2 in Game Six, which is, to date, the worst loss ever suffered by the Yankees in a World Series game. That would set the stage for Game Seven, slated to be an epic showdown between Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling.

The two were coming through clutch for their respective teams. The Yankees and the Diamondbacks were only able to muster one run each against each other until the top of the eighth. Alfonso Soriano lit up Schilling for a home run to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. It was shortly afterwards that Diamondbacks' manager Bob Brenly would bring in Randy Johnson in relief. Johnson won Game Two of the Series, and the night before in Game Six. He ended up slamming the door on the Yankees' bats in 1.1 innings of relief. However, the Diamondbacks still trailed the Yankees 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, and they would have to face baseball's best closer in Mariano Rivera. He had only blown one postseason save up until that point, when he surrendered a game-tying home run to Sandy Alomar of the Indians in the 1997 ALDS. He was as close to being invincible as any closer could get at that time.

Arizona, was not impressed though, as Mark Grace led off the inning with a single to center. Damian Miller came up next for Arizona, and he would reach base by a rare throwing error by Rivera. Two on, nobody out. Jay Bell would come up next, and he laid down a sacrifice bunt, to which Rivera would get the force out at third. Men on first and second, one out. A simple double play could clinch the Yankees' fourth consecutive World Title at this point.

Tony Womack stepped up to the plate for Arizona, and worked the count to 2-2. Many left-handed batters against Rivera (such as Womack) will usually end up striking out against him by this point, because of his vicious cutter. The pitch starts off appearing to go right over the middle of the plate before breaking in violently on the inner-half of the plate. This time though, the cutter went flat; Womack slashed a double down the right field line, and Midre Cummings (who pinch-ran for Damian Miller) scored. Jay Bell advanced to third. Tie game.

The ice that usually runs through Rivera's veins had to be melting by this point, as he drilled the next batter, Craig Counsell with a pitch. That brought up Luis Gonzalez, Arizona's best hitter. He hit 57 home runs during the regular season, which was good enough for third in the National League (trailing Sammy Sosa's 64 and Barry Bonds' record-setting 73). However, it was not a home run, but a bloop single that Gonzalez hit over the head of Derek Jeter that won the World Series for the Diamondbacks. In just their fourth season of existence, the Arizona Diamondbacks took down the three-time-defending-World-Champion New York Yankees.

Flash-forward to this year's World Series. We are witnessing a Game Six for the first time in six years (when the Marlins defeated the Yankees to clinch the World Title), and we have the potential, should the Phillies win, to witness another Game Seven. This year's Series, which was bordering on anticlimactic, is now bordering on becoming a true classic. Could we be in line for another fantastic finish, like 2001? We will just have to wait and see. Besides, the excitement of a great World Series lies within the suspense that unfolds during the course of one.

Chase Utley, mercy!

Chase Utley continued his single-man wrecking crew operation yesterday, when he went deep twice against the Yankees in Game Five. The two homers he hit last night gives him five overall in this World Series, which set a new National League record and tied Reggie Jackson's overall mark set in 1977. The more impressive thing is that Utley did his damage through the first five games, while it took Jackson six (aided by his remarkable three-home-run performance in Game Six).

The question of "who you would start a team with if you had to pick one player" was brought up immediately after Utley's second homer by Joe Buck and Tim McCarver on Fox. Buck and McCarver were both in agreement in saying that Utley is definitely worthy of being in the discussion of who you would start a team with. For once, I happen to agree with Buck and McCarver. Of course, there are better and more valuable players in baseball (Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer and Hanley Ramirez to name a few), but how many of them are second basemen?

It is rare for a second baseman to possess game-changing abilities like Utley. He has solid defense at second, he can hit for average and he can hit for power. How often do you see that? How often is it that a second baseman can be one of the best players in baseball? Not often. The only people that come to my mind are Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan, both of which are in the Hall of Fame. Sandberg possesses much of the same qualities that Utley has, while Morgan was your prototypical five-tool player (one who can hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, throw well and field well). While Utley does not possess all five tools, he makes up for the lack of base-stealing ability by hitting for more power.

Also, if you were to compile a list of the best second basemen in baseball, Utley is by far and away at the top of the list. Ian Kinsler for the Texas Rangers comes in at a solid number two, while Dustin Pedroia comes in at number three for me. Granted, Pedroia is the only one of those three to win a MVP, but he won it at the expense of Carlos Quentin, who went down with a broken wrist last year. Quentin was basically the leading candidate to win the AL MVP, and once he went down, the voters had to pick somebody. Kinsler has unfortunately been in relative anonymity in Texas, and I suspect that if he were in the same position as Utley, a lot more people would talk about him. However, the fact that Utley is a left-handed power-hitting second baseman is even more rare, and that puts him ahead of Kinsler in my opinion.

Chase Utley is like the four-leaf clover of second basemen; scouts struggle to find a second baseman that possesses his qualities, however, they are almost impossible to find. Nonetheless, when one is found, it will almost certainly bring good luck to the team that discovers him. Utley has been bringing a lot of good luck to the Phillies in this Series, and the team will certainly hope that more good fortune will come their way during Game Six tomorrow.

Brad Lidge= Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Also, a baseball history lesson

Could somebody please tell me what on earth happened to Brad Lidge? He was 48 for 48 in saves last year, including the postseason, in which the Phils won the World Series. Now he is just a shell of his former self, someone who struggles mightily closing out games. Are we waiting for the real Brad Lidge to show up, or is this just who he is?

Over the course of his career, when Lidge is on, he is on. The two best seasons of his career were 2008 (mentioned above) and 2005, a year in which he went 42 for 46 in saves. It is no surprise that in those two seasons, the Astros and the Phillies each won the NL Pennant, with Philly taking home the commissioner's trophy. However, when Lidge is not on, he can be brutal. He had probably the worst season of his career this year, when he went 31 for 42 in saves. In case you are keeping score at home, that is 11 blown saves. Ouch. I did not even mention the fact that Lidge also had a 7.21 ERA, either. Having an ERA that bloated is bad enough for a starting pitcher, let alone a closer. It is a testament to how much talent the Phillies have that they are even in the World Series, because that kind of performance from a closer would have killed any other team. Lidge also had a dismal campaign in 2006, when he went 32 for 38 in saves, with a 5.28 ERA. Since Houston was not quite as talented as this current Phillies team, they missed the postseason. Lidge's performance had to be one of the contributing factors to Houston failing to defend their National League crown.

I do not want to pile on Lidge too much; he seems to be an upstanding guy, and one who can candidly talk about his failures when they occur. You can tell that Lidge is someone who will not let adversity get the best of him, no matter how bad things get. He perseveres, and that is one trait that I like about him. The Phillies however, need for the 2008 Lidge to show up instead of the 2009 Lidge. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde act needs to stop. Otherwise, Mr. Hyde will get the best of Dr. Jekyll once again.


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The Phillies are now down three games to one in the World Series. Only five teams have come back to win it all after trailing by this much: the 1925 Pirates, 1958 Yankees, 1968 Tigers, 1979 Pirates and the 1985 Royals. If Philly does come back to win it all, they will have to attempt to become the first team since the 1979 Pirates to take Game Seven on the road. That will be no easy feat, because the road team has lost the last eight Game Sevens played (1982 Brewers, 1985 Cardinals, 1986 Red Sox, 1987 Cardinals, 1991 Braves, 1997 Indians, 2001 Yankees and 2002 Giants).

However, Philly fans should not fear this deficit, and they should look to the five teams who have managed to pull it off for inspiration. Kansas City in 1985 was just three outs away from elimination in Game Six when, by good fortune, they received a generous call from umpire Don Denkinger at first base. The call would unravel the Cardinals as first baseman Jack Clark would miss an easy pop-up in foul territory to help extend the inning. Moments later, Dane Iorg would connect for the game winning base hit off of Cardinals closer Todd Worrell to force a Game 7. The Royals would slam the shaken Cardinals in Game Seven, 11-0, to take home their first ever championship.

In 1979, the Pirates were just six outs away from evening the up the Series at two games apiece against the Baltimore Orioles. The Bucs had a 6-3 lead, and they were turning the game over to their bullpen, which happened to be one of the best in baseball. They were also playing in front of a raucous crowd at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, who were anxious to see their Bucs get back into the Series. Their joy would soon be extinguished by the red-hot bats of the Orioles, as they would score six times in the top of the eighth inning to take a 9-6 lead. The Orioles hung on to win the game, and would take a 3-1 Series lead. Howard Cosell, who was one of the commentators for ABC during the World Series, described the Pirates and their crowd as being "shell-shocked." The Series seemed to be over for certain.

Game Five would feature 23 game winner (and eventual Cy Young winner) Mike Flanagan for Baltimore against Jim Rooker, who went 4-7 with a 4.60 ERA in '79. Advantage Orioles, right? Wrong. Rooker pitched the game of his life, and the Pirates, still determined as ever, defeated the O's 7-1 to send the Series back to Baltimore.

In Game Six, the Pirates would have to face future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. Undeterred and undaunted, the Pirates beat him 4-0 to force Game Seven. Scott McGregor was the Orioles' last hope in Game Seven, but he could not hold on to a slim 1-0 lead, as Willie Stargell lit him up for a two run homer in the top of the sixth inning to give the Pirates the lead for good. "The Family" stuck together, and they would finish on top of the baseball world in 1979.

The 1968 Tigers had to come back from a 3-1 deficit, knowing all along that they would have to defeat Bob Gibson in Game Seven in order to win it all. Gibson had struck out a World Series-record 17 Tigers in Game One. Undeterred, the Tigers would go on to take down Gibson in Game Seven to win it all.

I could go on and on about the 1958 Yankees and the 1925 Pirates, but you get my point. Even though the Phillies are down three games to one against a very tough Yankees team, the lead is not insurmountable. The odds may be stacked against their favor, but so were the odds against the other five teams who trailed 3-1 in the Series. If the Phillies want to win back-to-back titles and mark their place in baseball lore, now is their chance to do it in grand fashion.

Keep up the good work, Ozzie!

If you were watching the World Series during last night's one hour and twenty minute rain delay, you got a big dose of Ozzie Guillen and his thoughts on the World Series so far. Even though the Series is not over yet, I have to commend Ozzie on the great job he has done on Fox's panel. He has given thoughtful analysis on players from both teams, and has provided outstanding insight into the world of managing during the World Series as well. Also, he has managed to make it to Game 4 without letting a cuss word slip, so I have to give him props for that as well.

There was one moment that I particularly enjoyed during last night's rain delay. It was when Chris Rose, Eric Karros, Mark Grace and Ozzie were all talking about how the World Series gives players the opportunity to live out part of their childhood dreams, or something of that nature. While they were talking, the camera proceeded to show pictures of Mark Grace and Eric Karros when they were twelve years old. When they were doing this, I was licking my chops in anticipation of the moment when they would show a little Ozzie on there, so I, along with the rest of the nation, could kindheartedly ridicule Ozzie on his youthful appearance. Once it got to the moment when you thought they would show Ozzie's picture, they did not show it. Ozzie, keeping the humor at an all-time high on there, would say that his family did not have a camera when he was that young, and that they did not even have uniforms for him when he was that young. If those words came out of the mouth of anybody else, it would have been depressing. However, since it came out of Ozzie's mouth, it was comedic gold.

Things became more hilarious after this. After explaining why there was not any pictures of him as a child featured on there, Ozzie would end up ridiculing Chris Rose. Ozzie set the whole stage up by telling Rose, "Chris, buddy, I have something for you to see." The cameras then revealed the picture of a dorky-looking, 12 year old Chris Rose in all of its awkward glory. Guillen, Karros and Grace would all end up taking their shots at Rose because of this.

Ozzie's decision to appear on Fox's pre-game and post-game panel has been a great one so far, and the viewers at home are benefitting from this. ¡Viva Ozzie Guillen y viva su leyenda!

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In other affairs, the Yankees won 8-5 last night to take a 2-1 Series lead. The Phillies would now have to send the Series back to New York for them to have a chance of winning it all. They are also going to need the bats of Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez to wake up if they want to have a chance of winning it all, too. The two have combined to hit 5-25 in the Series ("good" for a .200 batting average), with no home runs and three RBIs. The pitcher that they will have to face will be no walk in the park, either, as CC Sabathia is slated to toe the rubber for the Yanks in Game 4. The Phillies will counter by sending Joe Blanton out to the hill. Both pitchers are making their second career World Series start. The Phillies better hope that Ibanez and Howard can wake up, and that Blanton can come through big with a good start, or else this series will be over faster than they can realize.

The Sound of Philadelphia

Well, we are just hours away from the start of Game 3 of the World Series between the Phillies and Yankees. Cole Hamels is slated to toe the rubber for the Fightin' Phils against Andy Pettitte, who is pretty used to starting games in the World Series. Even though this is Pettitte's first start in a World Series game since 2005, he is 3-4 all-time in World Series starts (he's made 11 of them) with a pretty solid 3.82 ERA in 66 innings pitched. I think it is ridiculous that he has had the opportunity to have 66 innings pitched in the World Series, but I digress. Pettitte should not be fazed about starting today since he's pretty used to this kind of thing. What about Hamels, though?

Hamels had an absolutely fantastic postseason last year, which culminated with him taking home the World Series MVP for his performance against Tampa Bay. However, Hamels has been anything but fantastic this postseason. His ERA in the play-offs so far has risen nearly six full runs up to 6.75 this year. Hamels' regular season statistics have not been much better, as he finished with a pedestrian 10-11 record with a 4.32 ERA. Is his arm simply fatigued from last year, when he threw for the most innings in his professional career to date? Could Hamels just be a shooting star, who shines bright for just a short period of time, only to burn out quickly? We will have to see how he does for the next couple of seasons to be certain.

Nonetheless, there is one thing that I am certain of: Hamels needs to come through big for the Phillies tonight. Either that, or the offense just needs to come big for him. Ahhh, I've talked too much at this point. I'll just let the game do the talking. See you tomorrow!

Oh yes, and the title of my thread would be inappropriate if I did not include the actual song (and former "Soul Train" theme), "The Sound of Philadelphia." Have fun, and happy Halloween!



Oh yes, and since this is Halloween, please treat yourself to at least one more rendition of "Thriller."

Mo, Mo, Mo! How do you like me? How do you like me?

The New York Yankees, behind the dominant pitching performances of A.J. Burnett and Mariano Rivera, took Game 2 of the World Series by a score of 3-1. With that win, the 1990 Reds can sleep easy, because they will remain the last NL team to sweep the World Series for at least one more year.

In all seriousness though, even though the Yankees took Game 2 yesterday, I still believe that they have an uphill climb ahead of them to win it all. This is because of two reasons:

1.) The Yankees are in Philadelphia for Games 3-5. This is pretty self-explanatory.

and

2.) Prior history is going against them. Yes, I know, some of you might say that history does not mean a damn thing right now. Dig this though: in the last 20 World Series that were played prior to this year, the team that won Game 1 won 17 out of the 20 titles. The only three teams who won Game 1 and failed to win it all were the 1992 Braves, 1996 Braves and the 2002 Giants.

Also, you do not have to look any farther than last year to see how prior history could go against the Yankees. In last year's World Series, the Phillies split two games in Tampa, with Philly taking Game 1 (much like this year). When the series shifted to Philadelphia for Games 3-5, the Phillies won all three to take the title, outscoring the Rays by a combined 19-9 in the process.

Of course this is just speculation on my part. This is only because I really do not want to see the Yankees win the World Series (along with a good portion of baseball fans in North America). However, if the Yanks manage to steal a game in Philly, the momentum could easily shift in their favor.

Cliff Notes: How to do work on the Yankees

Well, just in case you were under a rock yesterday, Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee was doing work on the Yankees. What is "doing work," the un-hip, uneducated observer of this blog might ask? Well one definition of it could be when you throw a complete game, strike out 10 and walk no one in Game 1 of the World Series. Lee became the first pitcher to record 10 strikeouts with no walks in a World Series game since 1949, when Don Newcombe accomplished the feat in Game 1 against none other than the New York Yankees.

Lee never seemed to break a sweat during any point of the game. He dazzled the mighty Yankees line-up with an array of well placed changeups, fastballs, and curveballs. He ended up making accomplished hitters such as Mark Teixeira look foolish and Alex Rodriguez look feeble. Even his basket catch of Johnny Damon's pop-up in the sixth inning of yesterday's game seemed effortless. It seemed like Lee could do no wrong, and despite the fact that he surrendered one run in the ninth inning (albeit unearned), he had 'em all the way.

My recap of Game 1 would not be complete without giving props to Chase Utley, who lit up CC Sabathia for two solo home runs. Utley became the first left handed hitter to hit two home runs in a World Series game off a left-handed pitcher since Babe Ruth in 1928. Now that is some mighty fine company, there.

Now that the Phillies have solved CC Sabathia, it is time for them to try to take down A.J. Burnett in Game 2. He has a pretty pedestrian 4.42 ERA this postseason. The Phillies will counter with Pedro Martinez, who is making only his second start this postseason. Martinez did well in his only postseason start in Los Angeles during the NLCS, giving up only two hits with no walks over the course of seven strong innings. Will the Phillies take a convincing 2-0 lead in the World Series, or will the Yankees fight back to split the homestand? One thing is for sure: it should be a lot of fun finding out. Off to Game 2!

Hang on to your *&%$@#% butts, it's Ozzie Time!

Game 1 of the World Series is slated to begin at approximately 7:57 EST on Fox tonight. That pretty much means that the actual game itself will probably start around 8:30, once all of the pomp and circumstance that surrounds Game 1 of the World Series is finally complete. Also, considering how postseason games usually go, the game will likely end around midnight or 1 a.m., which means you are going to get roughly five hours of sleep if you are lucky. More often than not, you would probably eschew the pre-game show because it is just white noise, and you would probably say to hell with the post-game show because it is simply too damn late. Nonetheless, my friends, the pre-game and post-game show will be worth watching this year, because the one and only Ozzie bleeping Guillen will be on the show.

All Sox fans (myself included) know about Ozzie's loose cannon and his "tell it like it is" managerial style. In fact, Ozzie has had so many tirades in front of the media that most Sox fans can point out their favorite one, much like one would point out their favorite movie in a rental store. Whether it was the Ozzie vs. Magglio Ordonez showdown in 2005 or Ozzie's most recent tirade concerning his players watching too much football after an embarrassing loss (my personal favorite, by the way), one thing is for certain: if Ozzie is happy or upset, everybody knows. He won't give you the same manufactured response that most managers will give reporters after a good day or a bad one. Ozzie speaks from his heart, and he will tell you how he genuinely feels.

It is precisely for this reason why Fox's pre-game and post-game show will be considerably more interesting this year. Not because I expect Ozzie to drop a f-bomb over the air, but because he gives baseball fans want they want to hear. They want someone who is genuine, someone who speaks the truth and will not hold back. Somebody who will praise someone when it is deserved and offer criticism when it is deserved. Someone who has a deep passion for the game and wears it on his sleeve. Baseball could use more people like Ozzie Guillen. Tonight I will watch the pre-game and post-game show in their entirety not just because I am a Sox fan, but because I am a baseball fan who wants someone to just "tell it like it is." I have no doubt that Ozzie will not disappoint.

The 2009 World Series- Philadelphia Phillies versus New York Yankees

Well, the end of October has come, and with it, the World Series. This year's edition of the Fall Classic is set to start on Wednesday, October 28, which will be the latest date a World Series has ever started (you can thank your loyal friend and MLB commish Bud Selig for that). Anyway this series really has the potential to be great. Not great as in "oh, this should go six games" great, but clash of the titans, you're-going-to-remember-where you-were-when-Game-Seven-went-down kind of great. It's featuring a re-vamped New York Yankees team that won 103 games during the regular season, and the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who are hell-bent on repeating as World Champions. This series will be featuring a cavalcade of stars from both teams, from Ryan Howard to Alex Rodriguez and from Derek Jeter to Chase Utley. The two starting pitchers for Game 1 on Wednesday, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, used to be teammates on the Cleveland Indians. With those storylines, how can you not be excited to watch the World Series this year?


Many casual fans of baseball will likely give you the same cookie-cutter, tepid response as to why they will not watch the World Series. "It's the same teams in it every year," or "my team is not in it, so why should I watch," or my favorite: "I'm sick of baseball, the season is too long." The people who say these things will usually watch a regular-season NFL game over watching the World Series. I am sorry, but if you are watching Sunday Night Football over Game 4 of the World Series, it is your loss.


Even though the ratings for the World Series have been poor over the last several years, that should be no reason for you to not give this year's World Series a chance. This year's Fall Classic could have the makings for an epic showdown for all of the reasons above, despite the fact that the Yankees are in it once again. Besides, baseball is due for an exciting World Series again. We have not seen a seven-game series since 2002 and we have not seen a six-game series since 2003. We could finally have another true classic this year.


Call me old fashioned if you want, but once Wednesday rolls around, I'm going to be in front of my TV watching the 105th edition of the Fall Classic. Feel free to join me, if you wish.