TAKE YOUR PICK WHICH TEAM HAS THE EDGE IN THE WORLD SERIES?
Starting pitching — CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee are the past two AL Cy Young winners, and both have been dominant in the postseason. New York also has aging Mr. October Andy Pettitte and streaky righty A.J. Burnett; the Phillies counter with aging superstar Pedro Martinez and struggling 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels. The Yankees have a slight edge at the No. 2 and 3 spots, but Philadelphia has more quality depth in Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ.
Bullpen — Before the postseason, this looked to be the Phillies’ major weakness. But after blowing 11 saves in the regular season, Brad Lidge is 3-for-3 in the playoffs, giving up just one hit. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has lefty Scott Eyre, underrated Chad Durbin and steady Ryan Madson as his bridge to Lidge. New York has ageless closer Mariano Rivera with solid setup men Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes. Again, New York has more top-end quality but less depth.
Hitting — Surrounding ALCS MVP Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees have franchise face Derek Jeter, versatile Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui. Damon and Teixeira enter the World Series in slumps. After leading the NL in scoring and home runs, the Phillies have continued their offensive mastery in the postseason. Philadelphia has its centerpiece in NLCS MVP Ryan Howard, but the Phillies also feature two burners (Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino) and three others who hit 30 or more homers during the regular season (Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley).
Our take — If Martinez and Lidge remain steady, the pitching matchup should be a wash. Not so at the plate, where the NL champs should have a definite edge. Philadelphia, not New York, features the modern-day “Murderers’ Row.”
HE SAID WHAT?
“I hope he’s severely punished if he ever works another SEC game again because I think it’s completely unacceptable.”
- Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen on the replay official who blew a fumble call, resulting in a Florida touchdown Saturday
Please read our comment policy before commenting.