With a combined $64 million doled out to starters CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez, and the emergence of Phil Hughes starting pitching would seem like it would be the Yankees greatest strength. Instead it appears to be their Achilles heel going forward. Now no one can really fault Sabathia, Pettitte or Hughes as all three of them have just dominated all season, but Vazquez and Burnett haven’t lived up to their big money contracts (also Vazquez hasn’t been worth the prospects the Yankees gave up to acquire him). Things took a turn for the worse yesterday when Andy Pettitte went on the D.L. with a groin injury that could sideline him up to 5 weeks.

In some fairness, Vazquez has looked better over the past month, and has cut over 4 runs off his ERA (it currently sits at 4.45), but he is far from a sure thing going forward. While he is overall a very good pitcher, Vazquez for some reason has struggled in New York (twice now). With the uncertainty of Burnett and the Pettitte injury, Vazquez is still a bit of a wild card for the Yankees. And while Vazquez has improved over the last month, both Hughes and Burnett have added over a run to their ERA. While Hughes is still pitching well, he isn’t dominating like he did the first two months of the season, leaving more games in the hands of a shaky bullpen. Burnett is even more troubling, as he is pretty much imploding on and off the pitching mound. In his last start after giving up a home run he injured himself by slamming his hands into a clubhouse door, during the game. The injury seemed to affect him and he didn’t last much longer, but the troubling thing is what this means going forward. There was already uncertainty about whether or not Burnett would make his next start (and how effective he will be). Now with the Pettitte injury, the pressure is on Burnett to return to form and to keep his anger in check. Pettitte had been more or less the Yankees ace this year, every fifth day taking the mound and dominating the opposition. Now the Yankees will be without their veteran starter for at least the next month and the team needs to look for other options.

While New York says they are looking internally to replace Pettitte, I have to believe they will look to make a trade. The problem is the Yankees are in a bit of a bind. They have already said they aren’t going to trade Jesus Montero their top prospect in a deal for a starter, but now their need has jumped up quite a bit. If Pettitte didn’t get injured and/or the bullpen was effective New York could have waited some middling starter as an insurance policy. Now though the Yankees need not only a starter, but a quality one, that can consistently go 7+ innings.

The market doesn’t favor New York as the top two starters remaining, Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren would definitely require Montero (or everyone else in their farm system). While New York will inquire about both players, I don’t see them getting a trade done since they have already dealt a number of their top chips in the Granderson and Vazquez deals. After Oswalt and Haren, the market thins out some Ted Lilly is an option as are Jake Westbrook and Ben Sheets (all pitchers whose contracts are up after this season). Lilly is the best of the bunch (and ironically he was traded with Westbrook 10 years ago to the Yankees), as his down year this season is still superior to what Sheets and Westbrook are doing. He also profiles as a Type-A free agent meaning the Yankees can get some draft picks back (although they will have to give up more) after the season. While Fautso Carmona and Ricky Nolasco are likely on the market, their contract status will probably make them too costly for New York (in terms of prospects). One other pitcher that might make sense to the Yankees is Paul Maholm of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is a lefty so he will help keep that balance in the rotation, and he is under control for a reasonable amount next season. He is still fairly young and gives Pittsburgh solid innings, but he won’t cost the Yankees their top prospects.

One way or another New York needs to figure out what to do in their rotation, because while they remain in first place now, a month without Pettitte could very well leave them in 3rd. While neither the Rays or Red Sox have made moves yet, both could easily overcome the Yankees as they are presently constructed.

AL East:

1. Boston Red Sox

2. New York Yankees

3. Tampa Bay Rays

4. Baltimore Orioles

5. Toronto Blue Jays

Once again the AL East is the best division in baseball. The Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays all have enough talent to make a World Series run. The Rays may be lacking some major league talent, but make up the ground with their deep farm system. If a few of their young guys really develop this year and/or they trade some of that talent for proven Major Leaguers, they could easily sit atop this division come fall. I like Boston over New York, though I suspect both will make the playoffs. The Red Sox might not have the bats the Yankees do, but are built around excellent pitching and defense. Also their depth at the major and minor league level is superior to New York’s. The Yankees went fairly unscathed last year on the injury front, and I don’t know if they can count on being so lucky again. One or two key injuries will likely knock them out of first place, any others could allow another wild card team or even the Rays pass them by.

AL Central:

1. Minnesota Twins

2. Detroit Tigers

3. Chicago White Sox

4. Cleveland Indians

5. Kansas City Royals

The Twins spent time and resources shoring up their middle infield and pitching rotation, but received a body blow to their playoff hopes when All-star closer Joe Nathan was lost with an injury. While the door opened somewhat for Detroit and Chicago to jump ahead of Minnesota, I still like the Twins chances. They have a great every day lineup from top to bottom and a strong farm system. They do lack a true ‘ace’ pitcher and could be in the market for one at the trade deadline, but Minnesota will still be the team to beat in the Central. The Indians and Royals have done nice jobs of rebuilding, but still lack the Major League ready talent to compete.

AL West:

1. Texas Rangers

2. Seattle Mariners

3. Los Angeles Angels

4. Oakland Athletics

I think the Rangers will be a surprise team this year. They have a very good lineup top to bottom, and that doesn’t include their top minor league prospect Justin Smoak who should be up by mid-year. Their starting pitching isn’t where it needs to be, but they have a few young arms that should join the rotation before years end. They seem poised for a breakout year and given the state of the rest of the teams in the division, this is their year. Seattle and Los Angeles won’t just give the division to the Rangers, but they both seem to have some weaknesses. The Mariners did a great job adding Figgins (which hurt the Angels), Cliff Lee, and Milton Bradley and could have a bonus if Erik Bedard comes back from injury. But I’m not sure its enough for them to win the West. They have a great lineup built around speed and defense, but completely lack power, and that is going to hurt them. Unless they make a trade for a decent bat, I’m not sure that they really have a chance to win the West. The Angels have been pretty dominate in the West for the majority of the decade, but I think the torch has passed. Losing Lackey and Figgins did set the team back some, and they no longer have the strong minor league system which they can trade from. They desperately need their starting rotation to pitch up to their potential, something that has plagued them from time to time in recent years. While they have the talent to finish 1st, I see some declining performances on the horizon, that could drop them to 3rd.

While there might be a signing or two over the next few days, usually the Hot Stove cools down around Christmas for a few days. With this brief cool down period I thought it would be a good time to take a quick look at who has helped themselves or hurt themselves so far this offseason:

Playoff teams:

New York Yankees: They lost Johnny Damon and Matsui but have signed Nick Johnson and traded for Granderson and Vasquez. The Yankees added some big names and filled big holes in CF and in the rotation (which i’m sure Sabathia and company are thankful for), but they did pay a price for them. The 6 players they gave up all had pretty decent value to the Yankees and leave a hole in the organization most notably in their bullpen. I think the signing of Johnson was their best move, he doesn’t have Matsui’s power but he is an excellent hitter. The Yankees still need to fill their hole in LF and add at least one bullpen arm. Right now they are neck and neck with the Red Sox for best team in baseball.

Boston Red Sox: They lost Jason Bay, but did sign John Lackey, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro. Losing Bay is tough, but Cameron’s defensive ability almost makes the move a wash. Also the Red Sox hitting this year will be better with a full season of Victor Martinez and the major upgrade at SS with Scutaro. The best part about the Red Sox moves is that they haven’t sacrificed any of their top young talent or prospects, giving them plenty of flexibility to make additional moves. They still need to add another big bat, and some bullpen help.

Minnesota Twins: The Twins added J.J. Hardy which fills a major need but they lost Orlando Cabrera so its a minimal improvement. The Twins could still use a 3b, and another starter if they really want to contend with the Yankees and Red Sox.

Los Angeles Angels: The Angels signed Matsui, but they did lose both Lackey and Figgins, neither of whom have been replaced. The Angels have a big hole at the top of their rotation right now. The Angels could use some bullpen help, a frontline starter and another bat. Los Angeles will need to fill at least two of those needs if they hope to stay atop the AL West.

Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies finally got Roy Halladay, but they gave up Cliff Lee for three lesser prospects than those they gave up for Halladay. While their might be a slight improvement I doubt it will make a drastic difference in their rotation. Adding Polanco gives them better production from 3B, but wasn’t a huge upgrade. The Phillies need to still add help at the back of their bullpen and in the back of their rotation.

St. Louis Cardinals: The Cards could still potentially resign Matt Holliday or Pineiro so its hard to say whether or not the Cards are winners or losers just yet. Signing Penny was a smart move and if the Cards add another quality pitcher their rotation could be unstoppable. They will need to find a way to replace Holliday’s production if he doesn’t resign.

Colorado Rockies: The Rockies lost Jason Marquis, and he will need to be replaced in the rotation. Outside of that the Rockies need to add a few bench and bullpen players. The most important thing for the Rockies is the continued development of their young players, as their are no major holes in the roster.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers have lost Randy Wolf, and Jon Garland and Padilla could be joining him from their rotation exodus. The Dodgers will likely lose Orlando Hudson as well which leaves a big hole in their middle infield. Los Angles needs to add a 2B, two starters some bullpen help and a couple of bench players. Right now they are a team without direction and I don’t know if they will make the playoffs unless they make a major move or two.

So who do you think are the Winners and Losers among last season’s playoff teams?

1. Matt Holliday LF:  Holliday is one of the best hitters to reach the free agent market in the last few years. He is a legitimate  3 or 4 hole hitter on any team. He also offers solid defense out in left field for any team that wants him. Expect the Yankees and Red Sox to be interested, with the Giants, Braves and Mets as long shots.

2. Jason Bay LF:  Bay brings everything to the table that Holliday does with the exception of defense. Bay’s lack of defense and being a year older will make him a bit cheaper on the market. I’d expect all the same teams to be in on Bay, (obviously with the exception of whoever lands Holliday) and I’d add the Mariners to the list.

3. John Lackey SP:  Lackey is the top arm on the market this year, and a frontline starter on any team. He’s not an “ace” in the sense of CC Sabathia, but their isn’t a team in this league that wouldn’t like him in the top 3 of their rotation. Its interesting that the Angels seemed inclined to let Lackey walk. He has dealt with some injuries the last few years, bringing him down a notch or two. Dodger blue might make sense, the Mariners are another team that makes sense out West looking for top pitcher. If Lackey heads east the Yankees and Mets will be very interested, and the Red Sox will do their due diligence as well.  Two extreme dark horses are the Nationals and Orioles. Both teams have plenty of money to spend and need a top pitcher, but probably won’t overpay if the Yankees and Red Sox are involved.

4. Chone Figgins 3B, UTL:  Here we see a drop off in the market. While Figgins is a good player he’s hardly someone you build your team around. He doesn’t fit the typical 3B profile as his speed is his biggest asset. If the Angels can’t retain him, the Phillies will be the top team calling. Orioles, Giants, and Cardinals could all be interested as well.

5. Nick Johnson 1B:  Johnson has an injury history that will keep him from getting a long term deal, but when he’s healthy he’s one of the most productive players in the game. His power numbers and defense fell off some last year hurting his value, but he was still an on base machine. I’d expect the power numbers to rebound this season and for him to post around a .900 OPS. The Giants, Braves, Orioles, and Mariners should all be in on Johnson. I think the Mets will be interested as well, and I’d never count out the Athletics on anyone who gets on base as often as Johnson does.

6. Johnny Damon LF:  Damon isn’t a long term answer for anyone, but for the next 2 years there are few safer players out there on the FA market. Damon year in year out produces a solid OPS, whether its sometimes with a bit more power (20+ hrs) or a higher obp Damon is always a big cog in the offense. Damon also still has speed as a part of his game, and has always been a smart base runner. I think the Yankees will retain Damon, but if they go in another direction there will be a few teams interested. Giants and Cardinals make the most sense.

7. Randy Wolf SP:  Wolf had a great year for the Dodgers last season and helped them reach the NLCS. Wolf isn’t a true “ace” and is a few steps below Lackey. I think the Dodgers will retain him (unless they sign Lackey). If he does leave, the Mets, Nationals, and Astros (if they decide to fore go rebuilding) make the most sense. Some AL teams could come calling, but the NL seems like a better fit for Wolf.

8. Rich Harden SP:  In terms of stuff, Harden is the best pitcher on the market unfortunately he can’t find a way to stay healthy. As a result he can forget about any deal longer than two years and his price tag will be well below Lackey’s and Wolf’s. I think a number of teams will be in on Harden trying to catch lightening in a bottle. In addition to the usual suspects, I think the A’s, O’s, Nats, and Brewers will all be in on Harden.

9. Jose Valverde RP:  Valverde is the top closer on the market this season, but faces a few road blocks. The first being the glut of closers on the market, and the second the lack of legitimate openings among teams. Valverde is a good closer but is far from the supreme status of Rivera and Papelbon. The Phillies will be interested, but I don’t think they will overpay. The Nats, Rays, and Rangers all could use some help at the back end of their bullpen, but probably will look at cheaper options. The Cubs could be an interesting team to watch.

10. Aroldis Chapman SP:  Chapman is a 21-year old Cuban defector with a 100 MPH fastball, but also 100 questions that need answered as well. Is he truly major league ready? How are his command, control, and off speed pitches? These are just a few of those questions that teams will be asking. His age and fastball will get him a big time deal, but he is not without risk. The Yankees and Red Sox are the favorites in this race, everyone else has to be a long shot. The Orioles could get serious, especially if the Yankees sign Lackey (more or less taking them out of the race).

11. Joel Pineiro SP:  Pineiro is a solid mid rotation arm. He’s been inconsistent throughout his career, but a great 2009 will give him a nice deal. The Cardinals will look to retain him, but expect a lot of teams to get interested in him. The Nats, O’s, Astros, and Brewers should all be at the top of the list.

12. Orlando Hudson 2B:  Hudson has lost a step defensively (though he still won the Gold Glove), but is still a pretty productive player at 2B. Hudson would be a nice fit for the Nationals and a solid 2 hole hitter for them. If the Mets can dump Castillo’s contract they could get involved as well.

13. Adam LaRoche 1B:  LaRoche struggled with the Pirates and Red Sox last season, but was on fire with Braves the last two months. Atlanta will look to keep LaRoche, but if they can’t the O’s, Mets, Giants and Mariners will be interested.

14. Mike Cameron CF:  Cameron is still a solid center fielder and offers both defensive and offensive upside. Athletics and Yankees could make sense. Also the Padres could bring Cameron back to patrol their spacious center field.

15. Marco Scutaro:  Scutaro is the top short stop on the market. He has always been solid defensively, and had a breakout offensive year. The Astros and Red Sox make the most sense.

16. Adrian Beltre 3B:  Beltre is a great buy low candidate this offseason. He had a pretty bad and injury filled walk year, but prior to that was the model of consistency, 20+ home run power, around an .800 OPS, and excellent defense at third. His offensive numbers should be helped by getting out of Seattle as well. The Twins and Phillies will be the most interested. I’d imagine the O’s will get involved as well.

17. Marlon Byrd CF, OF:  Byrd is very much under the radar, but one of the better outfielders on the market. Not too many teams need center fielders so I could see him landing in a spot like St. Louis or possibly with San Francisco.

18. Jon Garland SP:  Garland is another mid rotation candidate, who offers little upside but can be a great addition to most teams rotations. I think he’s a perfect fit in Washington. If the Cards lose Pineiro, he makes sense there, or would be a solid addition for the Brewers.

19. Andy Pettitte SP:  Part of the reason he is so low on this list is the fact that he is almost sure to resign with the Yankees. Also I don’t know how much you can trust him to put up another year like he had in 2009. He could easily have another 2008 down year. If he for some reason left the Yankees, the Dodgers or Astros make some sense.

20. Eric Bedard SP:  Bedard is very similar to Harden, a pitcher with amazing stuff, but has been too injured to make a long term investment in. Plenty of teams should be interested in him. And it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to see the Orioles bring back their former staff ace.

Last night the New York Yankees won Game 6, 7-3 to win their 27th World Series Title. Though the Yankees were favorites thoughout the playoffs, they overcame the perception that they couldn’t win it with their current roster, and that they would find a way to lose like they had over the last few years. The Yankees also overcame the pressure to vindicate their manager Joe Girardi’s decision to go with a three man rotation and have his starters go on three days rest. Many people questioned whether the pitching staff could handle the extra workload, and last night SP Andy Pettitte showed he was up to the challenge going 5 and 2/3 innings giving up just 3 runs, on his way to a 7-3 victory.

The real hero last night was designated hitter Hideki Matsui, who went 3-4 and drove in six runs. Matsui killed the ball all series, batting .615, with a .643 on base percentage, a ridiculous 1.385 slugging percentage. Matsui had as many home runs as the rest of the Yankees combined, despite only starting in half of the games. He also paced the team by driving in eight runs in the series, which led to him being named MVP of the World Series.

For Matsui, Pettitte and the rest of the Yankees the monkey is officially off their backs. Since losing to the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series, the Yankees haven’t been able to return to the greatness they had in the late 90′s. They were pretty easily defeated by the young upstart Marlins in 2003, then the embarrassing loss to the Red Sox in 04, to missing the playoffs entirely last year, the Yankees had really failed to deliver on the hype and talent that they have on opening day. This year though that changed, they were everyone’s preseason favorite to win the World Series, and they delivered on that prediction. They were the best team in baseball from start to finish, and showed a level of professionalism that had been lacking for a while. The best thing about the 2009 Yankees, and something that really couldn’t be said about them for awhile, is they won and lost together as a team. Despite all the star power, this wasn’t a one man show, no one player was bigger than anyone else. A lot of credit goes to Girardi and the players for staying focused and finding a way to win. Congratulations to everyone on the Yankees, our 2009 World Series Champions.

While the Phillies failed to win two out of three home games, they are in prime position to win their second game on the road tonight in New York. The Yankees are once again throwing their starter, Andy Pettitte on short rest, the third game in a row that they’ve done so. Now Sabathia is a tank and can handle the extra workload, but A.J. Burnett didn’t look like his dominate self in Game 5. If Pettitte pitches closer to Burnett than Sabathia on the spectrum, then the Yankees will need a Game 7 if they hope to get their 27th World Series Title.

I understand that the Yankees pitching options are limited, especially since Joba Chamberlain hasn’t been pitching well of late, but the Yankees are taking a big gamble here. Pettitte is 37 years old and has already thrown 220 innings between the regular and postseason, and starting him on three days rest just doesn’t seem like a good idea. Especially with the struggles the Yankees are facing in their bullpen, where everyone not named Robertson or Rivera has had some struggles this postseason (Marte hasn’t allowed a run yet, but I don’t trust him in a crucial situation). On short rest the Yankees will be lucky if they can get between 5-6 quality innings out of Pettitte. If the Yankees need their bullpen for four or more innings I don’t see them winning this game.

The Phillies are countering Pettitte with their own crafty veteran, Pedro Martinez. Martinez pitched a masterful game in New York in Game 2, giving up 3 runs, but really shut down the Yankees bats overall. He began to struggle as his pitch count went up, but should give the Phillies a pretty strong 5-6 innings tonight. Martinez also showed that he can handle the New York stage, which many people thought would be too much for him.

The real key for the Phillies will be their bats, they came in to this World Series as a good matchup against the Yankees, because they had the hitters that would balance out the Yankees big boppers. So far this series only Chase Utley and Jason Werth have come to play. Unless Philadelphia gets some production tonight from a few of their other hitters, they might not make it to Game 7 no matter how off Pettitte is. Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino are both hitting under .200 for the series with nine total bases between them. They will need to step up in these final games if the Phillies have any shot of repeating as Champs. Because right now there is not a reason on the planet for the Yankees to throw Utley anything even close to the center of the plate. It will be up to Victorino and Howard to take advantage of that. Victorino needs to get on base before Utley, forcing the Yankees to pitch to Utley. And if the Yankees try to pitch around him, Howard has to make them pay in a big way.

We all knew it was coming, but could do nothing to avoid it from happening, when Brad Lidge came in against the Yankees in the 9th inning with the game on the line. There was no way this was going to end well for the Phillies. Lidge who was perfect in save opportunities last season, and brilliant on their way to the World Series, has been a disaster for the Phillies bullpen this year. What’s more disheartening for the Phillies, is last night’s game was pretty much was the end of their repeat chances.

Philadelphia had the Yankees right where they wanted them. They went into the 9th inning tied 4-4 due to a pair of late home runs (Utley in the 7th, Feliz in the 8th), and all they needed was 3 outs and and they wouldn’t face face Teixera, ARod, or closer Mariano Rivera. With the score tied the Yankees were prepared to go with Phil Coke to handle the 9th, meaning the Phillies could walk-off in the 9th without having to face the best pitcher in the game. All the Phillies had to do was get three outs and keep the score tied. Initially it looked as though Lidge would get the job done, he got Matsui to pop out and struck out Jeter. All Lidge had to do was get one more out, and he would have done his job. Lidge had so far been untouched this postseason, giving up just one hit and no runs in four innings. But that changed when Johnny Damon fought him off to get a single. Damon then stole second, but the shift was on and 3B Pedro Feliz covered second base and no one was on third. With a bad throw to second, Feliz was out of position and Damon was easily able to beat him to third base. After that you knew that Lidge wouldn’t be able to get out of the inning unscathed. When one thing goes wrong for Lidge, five things are bound to go wrong for him. What happened with Damon was in his head. And with the lead run 90 feet away, Lidge didn’t throw his nasty slider, and it left him a one pitch pitcher. A hit batter and a pair of hits later the Yankees were up 7-4, and bringing in their stopper Mariano Rivera to close out their third win of the Series.

A lot of credit should go to Damon, first in fighting off Lidge during a nine pitch at bat, to just get on base. Then the heads up base running taking two bases on the steal was huge. Mentally and strategically Damon’s steal set up the Yankees win and really ended the Phillies title hopes. Had Lidge gotten them out of that inning, and their offense had scored in the bottom of the 9th, the Phillies would have had a real shot to win this series. They would have been tied 2-2 going into tonight, with Cliff Lee on the mound. The way Lee has been pitching, and being at home, the Phillies would have likely headed back to New York up 3-2, which would have given them a fair shot to win the Series. Now down 3-1, the Phillies will have to hope they can even make it back to New York.

Now I think the Yankees can and will win the World Series, but boy did the Phillies put New York on notice last night. Cliff Lee was just dominate, in complete control against the best lineup in baseball. The Yankees managed just one extra base hit and one unearned run in 9 innings against Lee. Lee has been in the zone this entire postseason, but last night’s start was brilliant for many reasons. He out dueled his former Indians teammate, CC Sabathia, who has always been considered the better pitcher. Lee didn’t allow a single walk, and had 10 strikeouts, setting the tone of the game in the very first at bat, striking out Derek Jeter. And the biggest reason Lee’s start was brilliant last night was the attitude he brought to the mound.

Lee was not affected by the history, prestige, or hoopla surrounding the Yankees going for their 27th title, nor was he affected by the 50,000+ screaming New York fans. Instead Lee simply went out there and pitched Game 1 of the World Series like it was any other ball game. And no matter what the pundits or bloggers said, Lee knew that he was the better pitcher last night. Lee made some interesting defensive plays that just showed how much he was in the zone; catching balls behind his back, catching balls without getting under them. It was incredible to see how much Cliff Lee was cool and collected in his first ever World Series game. Lee’s attitude seemed to carry over to the rest of the Phillies as they were able to get Sabathia in some trouble early. While Sabathia got out of the early jam, it showed that he was fallible, and Chase Utley took advantage hitting two big home runs last night off the Yankees starter.  After Sabathia was pulled the Phillies took advantage of the Yankee’s bullpen and took a 6-0 lead that was too much for New York to overcome.

With the Game 1 win, the Phillies took away the Yankees home field advantage and now can wrap up the series at home in either Game 4 or 5. The pressure is now on the Yankees to win Game 2 tonight against Pedro Martinez to even the series before it heads back to Philadelphia. This is a big blow for New York as the Phillies neutralized their best pitcher, Sabathia. Now the pressure is on Burnett tonight and Pettitte on Saturday to right the ship and help the Yankees win number 27. Tonight’s game should be a good matchup for the Phillies since Burnett can be susceptible to the long ball, but I think the Yankees professionalism will come through in the end tonight and get them their much needed first win. Either way the Phillies showed that they will not be walked over in this series and that they are more than capable of beating the vaunted Yankees.

By Guest Blogger Bill Shoup:

Even though the final matchup isn’t set yet for the World Series, (although I think the Angels just delayed the inevitable with that dramatic win last night) and since we have to wait 5 more days for this Series to begin, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at the World Series histories of the three franchises.  Why?  Well, because I like living in the past.  Speaking of which, being an old-school guy, it bothers me that the World Series isn’t set to begin until October 28^th and if it goes 7 games, will finish up on November 5^th – or possibly even later if foul weather intervenes. Given the location of the two most likely cities to be participating, one or two rainouts (or even snow outs) are entirely possible.  There’s just something not right about baseball in November.  But anyway, I digress.  Back to the World Series histories of the Yankees, Phillies and Angels.

 The Yankees of course have by far the most impressive history of any major league franchise.  They have won 39 pennants and an astounding 26 World Championships.  Only one other franchise, the St. Louis Cardinals with 10, has double digit World Series wins!  It’s true that the vast majority of those Yankees championships were won before many of you were born (some even pre-date me!).  Nonetheless, you have to wonder how they did what they did.  During a 29 year stretch from 1936 through 1964, there were only 7 years that the Yankees did not appear in the Fall Classic.  They won 16 of their World Championships during that time frame, winning 4 in-a-row at the beginning of that stretch and later running off with 5 in-a-row.  Many people, when they think of the Yankees dominance, assume that Babe Ruth had something to do with many of their World Championships.  But the truth is he wasn’t even a Yankee during that 29 year stretch when the bulk of the championships were won.  There is no question though that the Yankees “mystique” began with the arrival of Ruth in 1920.  In 1921 they made their first of 7 World Series appearances during the Ruth era, winning 4 of those championships.  After the 1964 season, the Yankees had a rough stretch until 1976 when they returned for 3 consecutive appearances, winning the last two of those.  Again, they experienced a long stretch of futility until Joe Torre led them back to the Series in 1996.  They won it that year and then again three years in-a-row starting in 1998.  While the Yankees last championship was in 2000, they did appear in the Series two more times under Torre and made the playoffs in every one of his 12 years with the team. 

 Clearly, the Phillies’ World Series history is not nearly as impressive as the Yankees.  They have only appeared in the Series a total of 6 times and have only won the Series 2 times.  In fact, their first World Championship didn’t come until 1980, led by Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Pete Rose.  The Phillies first appeared in the World Series in 1915 and their fans then had to wait 35 years before Robin Roberts and the 1950 Whiz Kids got them back into the Series.  Interestingly, they were swept in that Series by the Yankees.  It would be another 30 years before the Phils showed up in the World Series again.  At least that wait was rewarded with that first Championship ring.  In 1983 the Phillies again made it into the World Series, losing in 5 games to the Baltimore Orioles who were led by Eddie Murray and a young Cal Ripken.  The Phillies next appearance 10 years later also left their fans disappointed when they lost the Series to the Toronto Blue Jays in 6 games, highlighted of course by the dramatic walk-off homerun by Joe Carter in that 6^th game.  The Phils next appeared in the Series last year, getting their second World Championship by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in 5 games.

 The Angels’ World Series “history” consists of one appearance, in 2002, coming 41 years after the franchise was established.  They won the Series that year, beating the San Francisco Giants in 7 games.  They have appeared in the playoffs 9 times over the years.  Of course the one that haunts Angels’ fans is the 1986 League Championship Series.  Up 3 games to 1 against the Boston Red Sox, the Angels were one pitch away from closing out that series and heading to the World Series.  Red Sox outfielder Dave Henderson, batting in the top of the ninth inning with a 2-2 count on him, hit a two-run homer to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead.  The Angels tied it up in the bottom of the ninth but the Red Sox won it in the eleventh on a Henderson sacrifice fly.  The series then moved back to Boston where the Red Sox took the last two games to move on to the World Series against the Mets.

 So, what do these histories mean as far as this year’s World Series?  Probably nothing.  But for lots of fans, maybe a little something, depending on the matchups.  The Yankees, with their history of excellence and accomplishment, have a fan following that transcends generations and geography.  But that success and the organizational and fan arrogance that evolved from it, also has engendered a large anti-Yankee sentiment.  So there will be those who want the Yankees to lose, in-part because of their storied history.  The Phillies’ history of spotty success could work in their favor in a matchup with the Yankees.  They could be viewed as the underdog, even though they are the reigning World Champs and have what I believe to be the stronger team on paper.  So I could see fans rooting for the Phillies during the Series based on the perceived underdog role.  Of course the flip side of that could occur if, in the unlikely event, the Angels end up coming back to beat the Yankees in the ALCS.  The reigning Champs taking on the franchise that has won only one World Championship in their 48 years of existence.  What better scenario for those that love to root for the underdog?  That’s the matchup that would actually be of any interest to me.  I tend to pull for the underdog if my favorite teams aren’t involved.  Since I’ve never cared for the Yankees and pretty much despise any team from Philly, a Yankees-Phillies matchup would be boring to me since I know that BOTH teams can’t lose.  Oh well, there’s always next year.  Here’s hoping for an Orioles- Nationals World Series in 2010!!

After playing two of the best baseball games I’ve ever seen in Games 2 and 3, last night’s Angels looked completely flat. Going into the game it looked as though the Angels might have a small advantage, with the rumor that Mariano Rivera wouldn’t be available and the fact that CC Sabathia was pitching on short rest. If Rivera truly couldn’t go, (or would be to tired to be effective) and with Joba Chamberlain ineffective this postseason, the Yankees would be at a disadvantage at the back end of their bullpen. The only reliable option they had would be Phil Hughes, who was coming off a multiple inning appearance the night before. All the Angels had to do was get to Sabathia early and keep the game close.  Unfortunately they could barely touch him, as Sabathia scattered five hits over 8 innings pitched, and gave up only one extra base hit. By the time Sabathia left the game, he had a commanding 10-1 lead and the game was pretty much over.

Now the Angels backs are against the wall and are facing elimination. This was supposed to be a close series, but is in serious danger of turning into a rout. The Angels had a chance early on in this series to make a statement and potentially upset the Yankees, but now they are all but defeated. In Game 1 the Angels still couldn’t hit Sabathia, but errors and miscues plagued the Angels and took them out of the game early. Then in game two, which was a thrilling 13th inning struggle, the Angels gave away that game on an error at the end as well. The true fact of the matter is, that game should have never reached extra innings given the number of times the Angels left runners in scoring position. Game 2 was the deciding game for the Angels, had they won that, this would have been a completely different series.

The Angels look like a completely different team than the one that won the A.L. West and swept the Red Sox in the first round. Their defense and pitching have been ineffective, their hitting is nonexistent (with the exception of Kendry Morales), and their speed has pretty much been neutralized. The Yankees have done a brilliant job of playing their game and not being sucked in, trying to play the Angels game. They have Los Angeles completely off-balance right now. I could see the Angels winning tomorrow’s game at home, but I can’t see them pulling off an upset in New York.