That is precisely what is missing from the New York Yankees lineup. Talent abounds, but the ability to stay healthy and remain consistent has been hurting the Bombers for the past few years. Consistency is what General Manager Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners need to be focused on during this off-season.

The legendary payroll for the Yankees goes up for grabs this off season, and I think New York brass ought to hold tight their purse strings before the spending and resigning spree begins, as many fans are clamoring for.

There are several players coming up in the discussion of future. Free agents Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano, Andy Pettitte and Ivan Rodriguez sit on the top of everyone’s minds.

It is a foregone conclusion that both Giambi and Pavano have spent their finals days in pinstripes. Pavano was never able to get his feet off the ground thanks to a plethora of injuries, effectively wasting his overloaded salary. Giambi has been on a steady decline since he weaned himself off of the juice. Fans have already written off both players and their juicy contracts as an end of the most disappointing streak of Yankees baseball since the 80s.

Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina both look to have options of returning. Despite criticism of age, both pitchers were big number producers as the heart and soul of the starting rotation.

Moose offered his best season to date and the thought of two or three more years to reach that pinnacle 300 win career must be weighing heavily on the soon to be 40 year old.

Pettitte, after being sidetracked this past off-season with legalities and accusations, provided a less than stellar year. His year, however, was not as bad as ace Chien Ming Wang’s, who had to bow out in June due to a major foot injury. With Pettitte’s distractions behind him, and his family’s approval, look for him to add at least one more year to his professional career in pinstripes.

Ivan Rodriguez filled a vital role as an everyday catcher substitute for Jorge Posada. But his future depends solely on Posada’s health and how understudy backstop Jose Molina fares in the off-season. Molina will have benefited greatly from having the experience of both Rodriguez and Posada in his ear throughout this past season. Do not expect to see Rodriguez remain in New York, though, as he will not be offered more than a year in contract which he will not accept, if anything at all.

There has been great speculation as to what to do with first base. Several current roster names have been thrown around including Damon, Matsui, or Nady, whom have all expressed interest from their overcrowded outfield posts, and even future hall of fame backstop Jorge Posada. But Cashman and the Steinbrenners have all commented on their desire to replace Jason Giambi with a traditional first baseman.

Rather than spending that money saved from Giambi’s salary on seasoned veteran, 28-year-old Mark Tiexiera, currently of the LA Angels of Anaheim, the Yankees have several potentials in their own system. Wilson Betemit has more than made his case for an every day role. Cody Ransom can also throw his name in the competition, as will late season call-up Juan Miranda. First base is NOT a problem in New York.

The rest of the infield remains solid. With Robinson Cano headed to the Dominican Republic for special off-season hitting instruction do not expect the Yankees to even think of moving him. He is a solid investment for the team, and investments like Cano and Melky Cabrera need to be cultivated for future gains.

The biggest problem the Yankees currently face is their glut of outfielders. Storied veterans like Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, Bobby Abreu, and Xavier Nady overshadow newcomers Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Freeing up the outfield to allowing more breathing room is a must this winter.

Few players have provided consistency at the plate like Bobby Abreu. His contract ought to be renewed, and quickly. Abreu wants to play in New York and CAN play in New York. One thing that we have learned from the free-agent era is that certain players do well in certain markets. Bobby Abreu shimmers in Yankee Pinstripes. Abreu ought to be offered a three-year deal with a fourth year club option.

Damon has one year remaining on his contract. Look for him to stay in New York and possibly retire thereafter. His wife has stated that this will most likely be his final contract. Damon and Abreu have truly helped to solidify the Yankee lineup with the few rare instances of consistent hitting, placing their season batting averages at .303 (Damon) and .296 (Abreu) respectfully.

Their respective batting statistics provide clear evidence for argument to allow either to perform in the DH role. Both can hit, steal, draw walks, and pull extra bases when needed. The platoon system of OF/DH can work on this principle.

Hideki Matsui, however, has been plagued with injury and waning production since his first contract. Packaging him in a trade for a pitcher or reliever would prove very beneficial to the Yankees. Placing him in a DH role would be counter productive to bringing in those stranded runners that have left the Yankees deep in the loss column.

Cabrera and Gardner offer a light of things to come. By not overloading either’s workload and preparation in the event of an offensive or defensive bust, there will be an ease of allowing young players to work alongside potential hall of famers on a day by day basis.

Having an outfield with Nady in left, an alternating of Cabrera and Gardner at center, and the DH/OF platoon of Damon and Abreu in right would serve New York in its fullest capacity. Remember, injuries happen and having these two extras to serve as field ready alternates would do prepare for the worst, while hoping for the best.

There is far more turmoil on the mound. Much hinges on decisions about Pettitte and/or Mussina. There are too many unanswered questions to know what predictions to make. If Pettitte and Mussina both return, and a healthy Chien Ming Wang is able to regain his throne as Yankee Ace, there are few spots left to fill. However one thing learned this past season was to prepare for the worst.

Alfredo Aceves showed too much promise to be dealt away. Expect to see his return pending a good showing in Spring Training. However similar things have been said about Hughes and Kennedy, who busted this year.

Neither Darrel Rasner nor Sidney Ponson could find ways to make their pitching work. I would expect to see both moved in favor of younger talent, or as part of a deal for pitching somewhere. Packaged with either Hughes or Kennedy, they could pull a fine price on the trade market.

If neither Mussina nor Pettitte are to return, the Yankees will be taking their wallet to the free agent market, and will be paying top dollar for someone who will hopefully not be the reincarnation of Carl Pavano.

CC Sabathia would fit the New York lineup perfectly, except that reports say he wants to play on the west coast. His house in Arizona is further proof to his commitment to not end up in the highly competitive east coast.

AJ Burnett or Ben Sheets look to be more realistic free agency options. Cashman will most likely have to deal hurlers in order to get anyone else, but do not be surprised to see that happen.

KEEP JOBA CHAMBERLAIN AS THE SET UP MAN! He will maintain his longevity as a four tool pitching setup man for Mariano Rivera. Eventually, Mo is going to hang up his spikes and when that day comes, Joba Chamberlain will slide right into that role. Remember when Mo was World Series MVP?  Joba has the same ability to repeat that in a bullpen role.

We saw an effective bullpen come together at the close of the 2008 season. The combination of Marte, Coke, and Bruney would each take two outs beginning with the fifth inning. Joba would then take three outs in the eighth, and Mo would close the ninth. It was a system that worked, as the Yanks ended the season with 12 wins out of their final 15 games.

It will not take much to fine tune this Yankees team. They are good enough, they just need to play better. They need to be consistent.

Consistency is essential to the success of history’s most storied sports franchise.

Basically, it's On Base Percentage combined with Slugging Percentage, adjusted to ballpark quirks. It's a very, very solid method used to value a hitter's overall offensive contributions--especially for hitters in the middle of a batting order.

The OPS+ statistics I'm going to use for all of these men are based on their last complete season played.

Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi have most likely seen their last days in pinstripes. Giambi definitely, Abreu most likely, unless he's willing to accept a one or two-year contract. When these two players leave the Yankee organization, that's going to take away a lot of production. A good way to measure any player's production, is OPS+. Last season, Giambi and Abreu combined for a OPS+ of 255

There are three different scenarios I see happening here, as an effective way to replace this production. Two are plausible, one is improbable but possible

Plausible Combination Number One: Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui are a combined OPS+ of 267.

Plausible Combination Number Two: Manny Ramirez and Hideki Matsui are a combined OPS+ of 277

Improbable Combination: Manny Ramirez and Mark Teixeira are a combined OPS+ of 307

As you see, all three possibilities are actually an improvement over Giambi and Abreu.

Yes,  I have taken into consideration that Manny Ramirez is aging, and that Hideki Matsui is coming off of knee surgery. But Jason Giambi is older than both Manny and Matsui, and Abreu is slightly older than Matsui. Jason Giambi is also the most injury-prone player out of all of them. Any combination of Matsui, Teixeira and Ramirez is an improvement in age, health and production over the combination of Abreu and Giambi.

With that said, I would much rather have Teixiera over Manny, for the simple fact that he's younger and plays a dynamite 1st base. But I would gladly take Manny Ramirez as the Yankee DH if Teixeira wasn't available.

I know a lot of people do not want Manny, because of his past problems with the Red Sox and his age. But If it came down to giving either Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu or Jason Giambi a three-year contract, who would you choose? I think the logical answer is Manny Ramirez. By the looks of his 2008 season, he isn't slowing down much at all; as a matter of fact, his regular-season OPS+ of 164 is nine points above career average. I know, I know, all this jazz about Manny playing for his next contract could be true. But the thing to consider is that Ramirez grew up a Yankee fan, and had a vendetta against the Red Sox. When Ramirez is living a dream and out to prove something, he produces at a rate not even Albert Pujols can match.

I know there are holes in this plan, just as there are holes in any plans laid, but this is the best I could come up with. If you have any better ideas than what I have come up with, I'd love to hear them. I'm sure someon has a better idea than this.

Phillies 3, Dodgers 2 - L.A. got 2 early runs off Cole Hamels and that was it -- he struck out eight in seven innings of work. But it was the sixth inning where Philadelphia came back and captured the lead for good on a Rafael Furcal error that allowed Shane Victorino to get to second base. Derek Lowe, whose slider had been very good for most of that evening, got one up to Chase Utley, who sent it into the right field seats of the band box that is Citizens Bank Park. Two hitters later, Pat Burrell took a pitch into left field (probably a fly out in most other places), and that was all Hamels and Brad Lidge needed after that. If the Dodgers want to make a series out of this, they have to go after both Brett Myers this afternoon and Jamie Moyer in L.A for Game 3 -- those two can be hit if you are patient; Hamels can't be touched even when he's merely very good, never mind on.

4:35 PM ET from Citizens Bank Park

215 Sportsguy-

Outcome: Manny Ramirez is still on fire but so is Brett Myers of late.  With Manny only sporting a career .158 (3 for 19) average against Myers, I think Brett can keep him in check.  Hopefully the right hand heavy lineup of the Dodgers has a tough time with Brett today and he can work some solid innings.  I see Jimmy and Chase getting their bats going again after an awesome game last night.  I think that's exactly what Chase needed to break out of his mini slump there.  Look for Chase, Shane Vic and Jimmy to have a great day and be extremely active on the base paths.  I also foresee some Jayson Werth surprise action.

Final: LA 3   PHI 6
Player of the Game: Jayson Werth - 2 for 3, HR, 2 Rs, 2 RBI, BB

T0bias Funke-

Outcome: Well if the Phillies were not fired up enough for this afternoon's NLCS game 2, word that manager Charlie Manuel's mother has passed away, has to put their motivation over the top.  The Phillies can not let down skipper Manuel's mother's honor and be defeated this afternoon and I predict that the Phightin's will come out bats a blazing.  Look for the the Phils to jump on Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley early and often as today's game will feature much more offense then yesterday.

Final: LA 4   PHI 7
Player of the Game: Ryan Howard - 2 for 3, HR, 3RBI, 1R

In the long interlude between 1993 and 2007 I enjoyed the baseball postseason (well, at least every one except the most boring World Series ever, 1994. Nothing happened. It was almost like it was never played). I rooted against the Yankees, for the Braves, for the Diamondbacks, for the Red Sox, against the Red Sox, and for the Cardinals. I recall watching Jeter throw out Giambi at the plate on a 2" television. Yeah, that's right. I watched that game on a two inch screen.

No matter what teams are involved, the baseball postseason is wonderful. But the Phillies make it all even better.

Now the Phils are back in the NLCS. We face a Dodgers team that has become a trendy pick to advance to the World Series (for good reason). They have Torre and Manny. Furcal is back. Their pitching staff made the Cubs look like the Padres.

In the regular season the Dodgers swept the Phils in a four game series in LA. Then  seven days later the Phils swept the Dodgers in Philly. I do not ever recall seeing that happen before. You could say home field is a factor.

Well, the Phils have the home field advantage for the NLCS. Game one went according to script, with the Phils taking a close one, 3-2.

I'm hoping the Phils continue making positive October memories. I love postseason baseball.

Twelve-year-old Zachary Sharples, his father and his 4-year-old brother have had Rays Fever all season long. So with the team entering the ALCS against Boston on Friday, they all started the week by heading down to the barbershop to get Mohawks, the style preferred by many of the Rays players, fans and even manager, Joe Maddon.

Unfortunately, Sharples' school, Lincoln Middle in Palmetto, doesn't quite share the same level of passion for the Rays. Even though the mayor of Clearwater has vowed he'll get a "Rayhawk" if the team makes the World Series, the Lincoln administrators immediately gave Sharples an in-school suspension for a dress code violation.

Mohawks are stylish in the Bay area now because several Rays players have them and word is the style has brought them luck at the end of the season. A barber in Town 'N Country has offered to give free mohawk haircuts until the Rays lose or win out.

The style didn't fly at Lincoln Middle School, Zachary said, even though the night before he washed out the blue dye. He knew the blue would cause problems, but he didn't think the style itself violated anything. He said he has never been in trouble before, but he has resolved to keep the style.

"I'm not shaving it off until they win the World Series," he said.

No word if the administrators would have preferred Sharples completely shaving his head so he looked like a neo-Nazi, but you have to admire a kid who's willing to stand up for what he believes in. He didn't go to school either Tuesday or Wednesday and his family is moving to St. Petersburg later this week, so he likely won't have to deal with schools that won't allow their students to experience a little playoff fun. 

The good news is that Zachary and his family will be at the Rays playoff games on both Friday and Saturday, where his haircut will not only be accepted, but celebrated. Long live the Rayhawk, indeed.

LEAVE THE KID ALONE --- AND GO RAYS!!!!

by Tom Peters

I don’t know about you, but I love this series. There’s so many stories going on in this series and the winner will bring some of these stories with them into the World Series. This year’s ALCS is going to have a lot of excitement and will go likely go the distance. Part of the reason I like this is becuase the Rays have a number of former Hudson Valley Renegades (Short-A Rays affiliate in my town), but I promise you, while my rooting interest is in the Rays, I will be objective here.

Like the NLCS, this is a fairly even series.  Each team has a strong pitching staff with many different components. Each team has a consistent ace. Tampa Bay has Jaime Shields, a consistent pitcher who knows how to win and won’t back down. Boston has Jon Lester. He has been as of late and did an excellent job in shutting down the Angels. When it comes to opening or closing a series, he is clutch. He won’t be opening this series, but if he’s pitching a closeout game it’s a virtual lock.

Each team has a solid bullpen. The Rays will go after you with Bradford, followed by Dan Wheeler. Boston will bring out Okajima, Masterson with Papelbon to close it. Who even leads after 7 innings will liekly win the game.  I will give the Red Sox the advantage here.

Each staff has it’s question marks. Andy Sonnanstine pitched well in Game 2 against the White Sox, but he did not have a September to remember. Matt Garza has had problem in the 4th inning in a number of his last starts. He’s also had issues recovering from those innings. The other question is whether or not the Rays arms will hold up. Most of this staff is on the verge of reaching career highs in innings pitched, one has to hope that the arms don’t run out of gas. For the Red Sox, Josh Beckett, Diasuke Matsusaka and Tim Wakefield are the big question marks. Which Josh Beckett will show, the dominant pitcher in the 2003 & 2007 World Series or the injured on as of late. If the usual Beckett shows up, the Rays can go home, but we have yet to see that. You never know what you’re going to get with Tim Wakefield and I wonder about how long Mastusaka can last and how many of walks will turn into runs.

No matter how you shake it, there is no clear advantage here. Too many variables.

The lineups will be interesting too. The Red Sox have one of the most complete lineups in the league. Can Pedroia get of out his slump. His less than stellar ALDS leave us to wonder when he’ll get out of the slump. If it’s too late, they could be watching the Fall Classic on TV. Can Jason Bay keep Red Sox Nation saying “Manny Who?” How will the absence of Mike Lowell affect the team? Can they get to the young Rays staff, particularly Shields and Sonnanstine? The Rays lineup is young an exciting. Evan Longoria is legit and will have a number of clutch hits in this series. If the Rays are to win this series, Longoria will have to produce like an MVP and he can. Expect him and Carlos Pena to smack Wakefield’s knuckleball over the fences. The Rays have excellent speed in Jason Bartlett and BJ Upton, who had a wonderful ALDS. Upton is showing similarities to Jose Reyes with his excellent speed and improving power. If he can continue this into the ALCS, Watch Out!!!!

While the lineups are fairly even, I have to give a slight advantage to the Red Sox. There are fewer breaks and question marks in the lineup. Plus, think the Red Sox have better hitters overall

The defense isn’t even close. The main reason the Rays are here is their defense. The outfield is wicked quick and the infield is one of the best I’ve seen in a while. Longoria & Bartlett should steal former teammate Paul Hoover’s jersey because they are just vacuums. Iwamura isn’t too shabby either.  The Red Sox defense is filled with question marks. Who can fill the void for Mike Lowell? Moving Kevin Youkilis works, but you’re sacrificing the best defensive AL first baseman by doing so. Can Mark Kotsay make Red Sox nation forget about Lowell’s defense? Will Kotsay play first or will he have to replace a still in jured JD Drew. The defense is slower, older, more injured and this could hurt the Red Sox at a critical time. I give a huge advantage to the Rays here.

What about the intangibles? The home field advantage is even for both teams, winning most of their games in this series at home. I’m not sure if this will hold true in the playoffs. They played 9 games at each park and should be used to the nuances of each park. Home field advantage in the playoffs isn’t a huge factor unless it’s a Game 7. Experience is overrated. While the Rays have only played 4 playoff games in their history and the Red Sox have been in the playoffs 4 of the last 6 years, I too think that is overrated. The only way experience factors in this series is if the Rays are facing elimination.

With all that being said. This will be a great series to watch. A lot of stories, a lot of evenness and for me a lot of former Hudson Valley Renegades who I’ve been able to meet over the years. I will be rooting for the Rays in this series because of that connection, but I think there are more question marks for the Rays, particularly in Sonnanstine and Garza and Boston’s lineup is just better than the Rays.

My pick Red Sox in 6 (God, I hope I’m wrong)

With the Phillies offense looking pathetic through 5 innings, it was the flying Hawaiian sparking a rally yet again in the bottom of the 6th as he busted his hump down the line on a seemingly routine ground-out.  But Victorino’s hustle forced Furcal to rush his throw which went out of the glove and over the head of first basemen James Loney and Victorino took second on the error.

The very next pitch, Utley ripped a two run blast into the right field seats and the Bank was shaking.  Two batters later, “Bait” as we learned is what one Patrick Burrell is affectionately referred to by his teammates, we think its pretty explanatory what “Bait” is referring too, hit his 3rd home run in 2 games staking the Phillies to their first lead of the series.

Hamels and Ryan Madsen did the rest of the work setting the stage for another Lidge save, as he worked a 1-2-3 9th inning, and the Phillies improved their record to 80-0 when leading after 8 innings.  

Did I mention that I am now a Tampa Bay Devil Rays fan? I should have, because I am. Who in their right mind can root for those obnoxious, crimson stockinged fools from title town or their former clown’s current team? And don’t even get me started on the Phillies. So yes, I am officially a Devil Rays fan until the playoffs are over. The only person I’m sure isn’t with me on this is Bud Selig, who is currently in the process of selling his soul in exchange for a Red Sox/Dodgers World Series. Heck, he’d rather don a Barry Bond’s jersey than see the Devil Rays play the Phillies in the World Series. That series would surely be a ratings bonanza. And by “bonanza,” I actually mean... um... “non-bonanza.” (Disclaimer: Before you start with the whole “they’re not the Devil Rays anymore” thing, allow me restate the fact that I refuse to acknowledge the Devil Rays sunnier new nickname. Although I’ll admit that judging by the results of this year’s team, Tampa Bay seems to have exorcized its demons...)

I’m going off the map on this one, Dear Readers, but seeing as how the NHL season just started I think it’s appropriate to make some predictions. I’ll take the New York Rangers over the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals. I just think that Wayne Gretzky is too good and Ray Bourque can’t carry title town to another sports championship all by himself. What do you mean “Gretzky and Bourque are retired”? And what does “those teams are in the same conference and therefore can’t play against one another in the finals” mean? Oh well. I guess my hockey knowledge is a bit dated. In all seriousness, however, why does the NHL start its season overseas? Isn’t it the National Hockey League? I know we play baseball and football overseas every now and again, but those sports are already popular here. Shouldn’t Gary Bettman and the NHL worry about expanding its popularity in America before it caters to markets that can’t even cultivate its growth? Just a thought. Feel free to agree.

At the risk of exposing myself as the bandwagon fan that I clearly am: How about MY-ami Dolphins? 2-2! South Beach hasn’t been this fired up since that Will Smith song from ten years ago. Bouncin’ in the club where the heat is on, all night on the beach till the break of dawn... sorry. How about the irony that Bill “Dolphin-Safe Tuna” Parcells signed Chad Pennington on the grounds that the quarterbacks already on the roster weren’t ready to play only to have Chad line up as a wide receiver for most of the game. At least they’re finding ways to win, which is a nice change of pace, however fleeting it may be.

Far be it from me to be calling for anyone to lose his or her job, but Ed Hochuli must be fired. While his dismissal will force me to discard all of my patented “ripped ref” jokes, the list of bad calls he’s made this year is beginning to get long. It’s as though he’s so nervous about blowing one call that he can’t get any right. He resembles a quarterback who won’t throw the ball for fear of an interception, but instead takes a bad sack (and often fumbles anyway). If I screwed up at work as often as he does, then I would’ve gotten laid off alread… wait… never mind…

By a show of hands, does anyone else find it interesting that the only time Tim McCarver makes any sense is when he’s bashing someone? His assault on Manny Ramirez’s effective Boston exit strategy was pointed, clear, and fair. I agree with him completely. The part of his comment that I don’t get is why he can never be any of those things while broadcasting a game. Shouldn’t he have saved his lone moment of logical communication for the three hours when he asked to be coherent? Couldn’t Joe Buck have nudged him and said, “Tim, you’re leaking out the good stuff. At this rate you’ll only have nonsense left for our opening analysis.” I guess at times like this it’s best to reference some of Big Tim’s own words: “I don’t remember saying that, but I know I said it.”

At least we know he’ll never claim he was misquoted.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

L'American League ha le sue regine, ed entrambe vengono dalla East Division. Gara 4 delle Division Series ha confermato che la favola di Tampa Bay, passata da squadra peggiore della stagione 2007 a candidata al titolo nel 2008, non accenna a finire, e che Boston, campione in carica a caccia del terzo titolo dal 2004, quando pose fine alla maledizione del Bambino, non ne vuol sapere di abdicare.

Rays e Red Sox si sono sbarazzati di White Sox e Angels, e da venerdì si ritroveranno di fronte nella serie al meglio delle sette che assegna il titolo della AL. Tampa, che avrà il vantaggio del campo e che in casa vanta il miglior ruolino di marcia di tutta l'Mlb, si è imposta 10 volte su 18 nelle sfide di regular season contro i Red Sox.

BOSTON RED SOX vs LOS ANGELES ANGELS: 3 -1

I campioni in carica ribaltano il fattore campo ed eliminano gli Angels, che in regular season avevano ottenuto 100 vittorie e che erano caduti al cospetto dei Red Sox anche nel 2004 e nel 2007, quando poi la franchigia del Massachussetts aveva conquistato le World Series. Boston espugna l'Angel Field in rimonta in gara 1, chiusa sul 4-1 con due corse nel 9° inning, e ripete l'impresa nel match successivo, vinto 7-5 grazie all'home run di Drew che manda a segno anche Crisp nell'inning conclusivo.

Gli Angels si riscattano nella tiratissima terza partita, la prima al Fenway Park, chiusa 5-4 al 12° inning grazie ad una punto segnato dal catcher Napoli, che aveva colpito due homerun nei primi cinque inning. Anche gara 4, vinta 3-2 dai Red Sox, si decide al nono inning, quando la corsa dell'esterno Jason Bay fa esplodere i quasi 39mila del Fenway Park proiettando la squadra di Terry Francona alla sfida per il titolo della American League.

TAMPA BAY RAYS vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX: 3 - 1

I Rays impegano quattro gare a prolungare la loro favola, lasciando ai White Sox solo il punto della bandiera e volando a giocarsi il titolo della AL per la prima volta nella loro storia. I ragazzi di Joe Maddon chiude i conti vincendo 6-2 allo US Cellular Field, volando sul 4-0 già nel quarto inning grazie a due homerun di Upton e alle corse di Crowford e Floyd. I padroni di casa nel sesto riescono a ridurre lo svantaggio a 5-2, ma nel settimo Bartlett firma il punto che fissa il punteggio. Tampa Bay si era imposta 6-4 (grazie anche a due fuoricampo di Evan Longoria) nella sfida che ha aperto la serie al Tropicana Field, bissando il successo nella seconda partita con un 6-2 in rimonta. I White Sox, ai playoff in extremis dopo lo spareggio con Minnesota, avevano trovato la vittoria che aveva riaperto la serie al ritorno nella Windy City imponendosi 5-3 davanti agli oltre 50mila dello Us Cellular, non riuscendo però a riportare la serie in Florida. Per i fans di Chicago, che cullavano il sogno di un derby tra White Sox e Cubs nelle World Series per la prima volta dal 1906, l'ottobre del baseball è già finito.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

La National League incorona i Philadelphia Phillies e i Los Angeles Dodgers, che si contenderanno il titolo a partire da giovedì nella serie al meglio delle sette sfide, con la franchigia della città dell'amore fraterno che potrà sfruttare il vantaggio del campo. Nelle Division Series, al meglio delle 5 partite, i Phillies si sono liberati di Milwaukee, mentre i Dodgers hanno condannato i Cubs al 101esimo anno di attesa.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS vs CHICAGO CUBS: 3 – 0

A sorpresa i Dodgers, trascinati da Manny Ramirez sempre più idolo dei fans della città degli Angeli, travolgono i Cubs senza lasciare loro nemmeno una partita. I californiani passano due volte a Wrigley Field surclassando gli avversari, 7-2 in rimonta al debutto e 10-3 senza problemi nella seconda partita, con l'esterno dominicano ex Boston Red Sox che firma un fuoricampo in ogni sfida. La squadra di Joe Torre, regina della NL West con 84 vinte e 78 perse, completa poi l’opera a Los Angeles, davanti ai 56mila del Dodger Stadium, chiudendo i conti con una vittoria per 3-1. I Cubs dovranno ancora rinviare il ritorno al titolo, che manca dal 1908.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES vs MILWAUKEE BREWERS: 3 - 1 

Because of the pitching match-ups. 

With Billinglsey vs Myers tonight, I would have to give the edge to the Dodgers.  Myers can be overpowering when he's on, but the problem is you never know which pitcher he is going to be when he takes the mound.  Billingsley has shown more consistency, so the Dodgers have the advantage tonight.  

Game 3 will feature Jamie Moyer (the pitchers' Julio Franco) and rookie Hiroki Kuroda.  Despit Kuroda's solid ERA this season, this match-up favors the Phils because of Moyer's experience. 

Then Game 4 will feature Joe Blanton against a TBD opponent.  Blanton had a high ERA for the year, but can turn in a quality start.  Not knowing who he'll face yet, it's tough to determine which team will have the advantage.  

All that to say, I think the pitching match-ups are fairly even once you get past the number one starters.  Which makes Derek Lowe and Cole Hamels pivotal in this series.  With 7 games, each ace will get to pitch twice.  The Phillies have put themselves in a position where they could conceivably get two wins from theirs.  That's huge and helps the team's chances immensley because it puts the burden on the right member of their pitching staff and not on the bottom half of the rotation.  

If Philly wins only 1 of the next 3, then the quest for a third win will be in good hands when they turn to Hamels.  Or if Philly loses the next 3 games, Hamels will back as the stopper.  Again, he's the he's exactly the one they would want in that position.  

By winning the first game, the Phillies have almost ensured that they will be competitive in this series, and they've given themselves a great shot at moving on to the World Series.

Like the NLCS, this is a fairly even series.  Each team has a strong pitching staff with many different components. Each team has a consistent ace. Tampa Bay has Jaime Shields, a consistent pitcher who knows how to win and won't back down. Boston has Jon Lester. He has been as of late and did an excellent job in shutting down the Angels. When it comes to opening or closing a series, he is clutch. He won't be opening this series, but if he's pitching a closeout game it's a virtual lock.

Each team has a solid bullpen. The Rays will go after you with Bradford, followed by Dan Wheeler. Boston will bring out Okajima, Masterson with Papelbon to close it. Who even leads after 7 innings will liekly win the game.  I will give the Red Sox the advantage here.

Each staff has it's question marks. Andy Sonnanstine pitched well in Game 2 against the White Sox, but he did not have a September to remember. Matt Garza has had problem in the 4th inning in a number of his last starts. He's also had issues recovering from those innings. The other question is whether or not the Rays arms will hold up. Most of this staff is on the verge of reaching career highs in innings pitched, one has to hope that the arms don't run out of gas. For the Red Sox, Josh Beckett, Diasuke Matsusaka and Tim Wakefield are the big question marks. Which Josh Beckett will show, the dominant pitcher in the 2003 & 2007 World Series or the injured on as of late. If the usual Beckett shows up, the Rays can go home, but we have yet to see that. You never know what you're going to get with Tim Wakefield and I wonder about how long Mastusaka can last and how many of walks will turn into runs.

No matter how you shake it, there is no clear advantage here. Too many variables.

The lineups will be interesting too. The Red Sox have one of the most complete lineups in the league. Can Pedroia get of out his slump. His less than stellar ALDS leave us to wonder when he'll get out of the slump. If it's too late, they could be watching the Fall Classic on TV. Can Jason Bay keep Red Sox Nation saying "Manny Who?" How will the absence of Mike Lowell affect the team? Can they get to the young Rays staff, particularly Shields and Sonnanstine? The Rays lineup is young an exciting. Evan Longoria is legit and will have a number of clutch hits in this series. If the Rays are to win this series, Longoria will have to produce like an MVP and he can. Expect him and Carlos Pena to smack Wakefield's knuckleball over the fences. The Rays have excellent speed in Jason Bartlett and BJ Upton, who had a wonderful ALDS. Upton is showing similarities to Jose Reyes with his excellent speed and improving power. If he can continue this into the ALCS, Watch Out!!!!

While the lineups are fairly even, I have to give a slight advantage to the Red Sox. There are fewer breaks and question marks in the lineup. Plus, think the Red Sox have better hitters overall

The defense isn't even close. The main reason the Rays are here is their defense. The outfield is wicked quick and the infield is one of the best I've seen in a while. Longoria & Bartlett should steal former teammate Paul Hoover's jersey because they are just vacuums. Iwamura isn't too shabby either.  The Red Sox defense is filled with question marks. Who can fill the void for Mike Lowell? Moving Kevin Youkilis works, but you're sacrificing the best defensive AL first baseman by doing so. Can Mark Kotsay make Red Sox nation forget about Lowell's defense? Will Kotsay play first or will he have to replace a still in jured JD Drew. The defense is slower, older, more injured and this could hurt the Red Sox at a critical time. I give a huge advantage to the Rays here.

What about the intangibles? The home field advantage is even for both teams, winning most of their games in this series at home. I'm not sure if this will hold true in the playoffs. They played 9 games at each park and should be used to the nuances of each park. Home field advantage in the playoffs isn't a huge factor unless it's a Game 7. Experience is overrated. While the Rays have only played 4 playoff games in their history and the Red Sox have been in the playoffs 4 of the last 6 years, I too think that is overrated. The only way experience factors in this series is if the Rays are facing elimination.

With all that being said. This will be a great series to watch. A lot of stories, a lot of evenness and for me a lot of former Hudson Valley Renegades who I've been able to meet over the years. I will be rooting for the Rays in this series because of that connection, but I think there are more question marks for the Rays, particularly in Sonnanstine and Garza and Boston's lineup is just better than the Rays.

My pick Red Sox in 6 (God, I hope I'm wrong)

For years now, fans, reporters, and officials of Japanese professional baseball have been fretting over the damage - real and potential - that the globalization of the sport is doing to Japan's professional clubs.

While fans on both sides of the Pacific have been pleased to see the success of Nomo, Ichiro, Matsui, Matsuzaka, Okajima, Fukudome, Iwamura, et al., their absence has been felt keenly by their former clubs and the trend they've set is often listed among the signs of the apocalypse for Nippon Professional Baseball rather than as the wonderful international friendship-building move Major League Baseball likes to promote.

To be sure, NPB clubs are nowhere near being able to compete head to head with their Major League counterparts in pecuniary terms.  As MLB makes savvy, assertive moves to build its brand internationally, the disparity grows.  To put it bluntly, Major League Baseball is not only the undisputed top tier of baseball, it is also a vastly better-run business, employing an organization, unity of purpose, and progressive approach to marketing and promotion of an entirely different order from the selfish, quasi-feudal overconfidence born of NPB's being the biggest, and at times only, show in the land for decades.

The question then becomes how pro baseball in Japan can cope with its own on-field success, for it is, ironically, the rising level of play in Japan that has led to Japanese clubs finding it harder to keep talent.  It is no longer a big deal for a Japanese player to head over to the Majors.  On the other side, though, Japanese clubs are still not bringing top players the other way.

Since the mid-1950s, NPB has placed a limit on the number of foreign players any team can keep on its active roster, with one of the arguments being that such a limit would give more homegrown players a chance to develop and would prevent any club (viz. the early '50s Giants) from using raw pruchasing power to import the core an overwhelmingly dominant side.  To be fair, although it may be time to revise this quota, the system appears to have worked.  The issue facing NPB now is not at all an influx or the performance of foreign players.

The issue now is competing for the homegrown talent with overseas clubs and their bigger bank accounts and top dog status.

Given its history and approach to the business side of baseball, Japanese pro baseball's solution to this new challenge is not surprising.  Increase revenue?  No discernible progress there.  Aggressively court some big foreign names to grab the interest of a fan base more interested in celebrity than teams or the game itself? Not seeing it.  No, the clubs' answer was to stick the blame and the punishment squarely on the players.

Thus, NPB has joined with the corporate (or industrial) leagues and even universities to prohibit any player who bypasses the Japanese amateur draft to deal with foreign clubs from playing for any NPB team for three years after his return to Japan and for corporate or university teams for two years.

The move was made in response to the decision of top prospect Junichi Tazawa to skip the draft and deal directly with MLB clubs, thus freeing himself from the seven years of service that would be required of him once he entered the Japanese system (no longer nine, as the Japan Times article says.)

Aside from seemingly casting the NPB-MLB discrepancy as a problem that's primarily the fault of players, the move is the worst kind of self-destructive trade barrier.  What good is going to come from barring good, even top players, presumably experienced players by the time they return to Japan, from playing if teams want them?  Are many young prospects with dreams of a professional baseball career going to pass up their chance at the greater challenge, fame, and money of the Major Leagues because of a possible future punishment?  Doubtful.  The prospects in question will almost all be between 18 and 22 years old and will obviously think they have a shot, at least, at a spot on an MLB squad.  The period of ineligibility smacks of vindictiveness and will hurt NPB even more than losing talent to the MLB will.

Think of the players who would have been ineligible: No Shinjo on the 2006 Fighters, for example.  He helped fill seats, flog merchandise, and bring Nippon Ham their first championship in ages.  Would baseball have been better off if he'd simply retired after coming back to Japan?

This move is typical of the myopic, defensive, even petty approach too often taken by NPB bigwigs.  If any ban is instituted, it should be on those who insist on going to great lengths in a vain attempt to turn the clock back twenty years while denying the reality of the present and taking no serious steps to prepare for the future.

Derek Lowe's sinker was working during the first five innings, puzzling the Phillies while holding a 2-0 lead. That's when it all fell apart for the Dodgers starting pitcher. Lowe's sinkerball, his primary pitch, was effectively low over his first five frames, but he left two up that ruined his outing. Chase Utley hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Pat Burrell followed with a solo shot that proved to be the game winner for Philadelphia.

Cole Hamels threw seven solid innings, striking out eight, clearly bringing his ace-worthy stuff in the biggest start of his career. It took a while for the Phillies to give him a lead, but once they did, Game 1 of the NLCS was theirs. Rafael Furcal's throwing error started the sixth inning rally, as a hustling Shane Victorino reached second base. The error seemed to rattle Lowe, as he then, uncharacteristically, left two pitches up that he couldn't afford to. Chase Utley proceeded to hit his first postseason homer on the first offering from Lowe, tying the game. Burrell lined his into the left-field seats for their third, and deciding, run of the game. Lowe's night was over.

A win was firmly in the Phillies grasp as the tandem of Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge finished of the Dodgers. These two relievers will be one of the main keys throughout the series, as I expect a majority of the games will be close.

Manny Ramirez hit an rbi-double in the first inning, and Blake Dewitt, three innings later, drove in Los Angeles's second run with a sacrifice fly, but that's all the Dodgers could muster. They have the talent to drive in a lot of runs, but the offense, even with Ramirez, struggled at the most inopportune of times.

Give credit to Hamels, who kept the Dodgers at bay. Give credit to Utley and Burrell, as their thunderous bats made Los Angeles pay in helping Philadelphia nab the opening game of what should be a fascinating series.

Derek Lowe was pitching a pretty good game for LA up to the 6th inning; that's when the homer fireworks started.

OK...now that we have the most basic element down....let's get down to some of the facts:

Who is playing in the NLCS? 

• Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

What colors are the Phillies and the Dodger's uniforms?

• Phillies - Red, Blue & White ( very fitting colors for potential World Series Champions during an election year...but I digress)
• Dodgers - Blue and White

Now the whole..."what colors are the teams" is important in case you are invited to a baseball party this weekend...it always helps to either wear some team paraphenalia or at least the colors of the team that you are rooting for.    Also, if you are invited to a baseball party...you will probably need to worry about more than the uniform...namely, staying awake....tv & baseball, don't go well together, so make some good snacks and ensure that you have some friends who talk in the room....

How many games are in the NLCS?

• Potentially 7 games...the reason I say potentially is because whichever team wins 4 games first wins the series....I know, common sense, but just want to make sure we are all saying the right stuff...

Where are the games being played?

• The 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th game are played in Philadelphia - the stadium is called the Bank (for Citizen's Bank Park)
• The 3rd, 4th and 5th game are played in Los Angeles 

[caption id="attachment_146" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cole Hamels - Phillies pitcher for Thursday night"][/caption]

I put this picture of Cole Hamels in because he pitched Thursday for the Phillies and got the win...and he is smoking hot... but his wife is a Playboy centerfold, so keep dreaming girls.

Now for some facts that the guys might not even know...

• This is the 4th time that the Phillies have played the Dodgers in the NLCS (1977, 1978, 1983).    The Phillies won in '83 and the Dodgers won the other two.  The Dodgers are the team that the Phils have played against the most in the playoffs. 
• The most famous game in the Phillies v Dodgers playoff history was October 7, 1977 is nicknamed "Black Friday" by Philadelphia fans.  Now girls, if you are anything like me, Black Friday is one of the best days of the year...it means shopping for major sales...this is never a bad thing.  For the Phils though...this was a bad day...the Phils were winning the game and then things took a turn for the worse and they lost the game...since the game was on a Friday, the fans called the game "Black Friday."
• The Phillies & Dodgers have a very interesting relationship....two of the most important players in the "Black Friday" game were Davey Lopes and Larry Bowa.  Davey Lopes played for the Dodgers and now is the first base coach for the Phillies.  Larry Bowa played for the Phillies and is now the third base coach for the Dodgers....weird I guess, I might call it back-stabbing (jk). 
• The manager (aka head coach in any other sport) of the Dodgers is Joe Torre, who managed the Yankees for 12 seasons prior to the this year and make the playoffs EVERY year....I call this a superstar.
• As I said earlier, the whole coaching relationship thing is odd...but the player relationships is also very interesting...Two of the Phillies most important players used to play for the Dodgers (Jayson Werth & Shane Victorino).  Also, Manny Ramirez ( the star player for the Dodgers) was traded from the Red Sox midway through the season...however there were rumors of talks about  Ramirez between the Red Sox and the Phillies....

I'll be back tomorrow with some more interesting facts and commentary to keep you in the know...

-sportsgirl

PS - I will be wearing red, white & blue

Favorite                                                      Underdog

Phillies                                                        Dodgers

-Should win one at home-                      -One of two games they could lose-

I hit the Phillies and the Rays but those were easy picks. The Brewers were missing Ben Sheets and as noted CC Sabathia's arm was about to fall off. The White Sox had to effectively play a five game series just to get into the playoffs and then with very little rest travel to take on a Rays team that put tons of pressure on them.

The Cubs are where I really dropped the ball. I should have known that with the baggage the Cubs carry around there was no way they would win a series when even one minor thing went wrong. If I bet on the Cubs to the win the series I would have been frantically begging the casino to give me my money like Albert Brooks in "Lost in America" as soon as Loney hit that game one grand slam.

Onto the League Championship series predictions:

Los Angeles Dodgers v. Philadelphia Phillies

Game one of this series is must-win for the Phillies. Their starting pitching isn't deep enough to overcome losing a Cole Hamels start at home. For the Dodgers, game one isn't as important since their starting pitching is deeper and they only need to win one of first two games on the road.

Key for the Phillies is their two starters after Hamels, Myers and Moyer. If those two can manage two wins I like Phillies chances. The problem for the Phils - Manny Ramirez owns Jamie Moyer, lifetime 1.328 OPS with 9 HR in 43 at-bats. The good news, Myers seems to have it figured out and was solid in his first start of the post-season.

Key for the Dodgers is can the offense continue to produce runs. Outside of Manny, no one on that team really scares you, but everyone seems to be clicking right now and you cannot under-estimate the positive impact Manny has in the middle of that lineup.

The wildcard in this series is Derek Lowe. Lowe is somewhat like "Nuke Laloosh" in that he has million dollar stuff but a five cent head. Lowe pitching on the road in game one with a lower amount pressure means we likely will see the good Derek Lowe and the "Derek Lowe" face. Couple that with the fact he is a ground ball pitcher is a fly ball park and I like the Dodgers chances in game to steal the home field in game one.

Who wins? The Dodgers in six.

Boston Red Sox v. Tampa Bay Rays

The flinch here is to assume that the playoff seasoned Red Sox will very little problems with the young, un-tested Rays. There are several flaws to that line of thinking. First, this edition of the Rays is seasoned. When the Red Sox charged at the end of the season, Rays held them off by beating Boston in four of six head-to-head. If the Rays felt the pressure we wouldn't know it by those head-to-head meetings, as Boston won the first game in each of those three game series only to see the Rays bow their necks and win the next two.

While the Sox boast the best starting pitcher (Lester), Tampa Bay's rotation is deeper. All four of Tampa Bay's starters have the potential to lock down the Sox and at a minimum will keep the Rays in the game. The Sox, on the other hand, have major questions with three of their starters. What Beckett we will see? Can Dice-K find his control and give the Sox a strong seven innings? And Tim Wakefield could pitch a one hitter or tax the bullpen by getting shelled in the first inning.

Key for the Red Sox – The Sox have to find a way to break through against the Rays bullpen. We know the Sox will work the pitch count and get the Rays starters out of the game by the seventh inning, but they have been miserable against the Rays bullpen this year. If Boston can rough up that bullpen and steal a win in game one or two, the momentum will be on their side.

Key for the Rays – Continue their timely hitting. One reason I can see this team winning the World Series this year is the number of key hits they get in two out situations. If that well dries up for them they will have a difficult time winning this series.

The wildcard in this series – Dan Wheeler, Rays closer. Wheeler is not a closer by trade, but he is being thrust into this role because of the injury to Troy Percival. If he craps the bed, the Rays are in big trouble this series.

Who wins? These teams are very close and this should be a competitive series, but that doesn't mean it will be a long series. I could see one of these teams finding a way to win four straight and ending the ALCS in a sweep.

I have been saying for a couple of months now, that the Rays aren't just a nice story that will come to end when they run up against post-season savvy team. This team has all the ingredients needed to win a championship – power, the ability to manufacture a run with small-ball, a great defense that prevents tangible things like first-to-third, lights out bullpen and solid starting pitching. The Sox have a shaky bullpen and too many question marks in the starting rotation.

If my life depended on correctly picking this series, I could not take the Sox. The Rays in six.

Here's the rub, though: Lasorda's own players routinely gave the Phanatic replicas of Lasorda's jersey so that he could be run over in effigy, because they thought it was funny. So quit whining, Lasorda. Frankly, we Philadelphia fans needed that kind of sideshow during games because the team stank so badly for so long. That, and it's a little sad to have a personal vendetta against a silly mascot which which you share a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Elsewhere on the Internets, the Dodgers' celebrity blogger laureate, Alyssa Milano, in looking ahead to the NLCS (and sort of looking past it to the World Series, too — always bad mojo in sports), seems to believe that although the Phillies look to her like potentially a stronger team on paper than L.A., "the stats don't cover heart and chemistry."

Oh, Milano. The Phillies have a lot of heart and chemistry, too. And while they may not have a lot of fancy-shmancy Hollywood celebrity fans, they do have legions of fans who boo everything loudly, occasionally turn violent, and consider Cheez Whiz a food group. So, the Phillies know they'd better have loads of heart and chemistry, because people might start chucking batteries at them à la J.D. Drew.

Personally, I'd rather have a buch of angrily passionate overweight guys on my side in a street fight than a bunch of scrawny Hollywood dilettantes who regularly fail to show up for games until about the third inning or so only to leave early to beat the traffic, but that's neither here nor there.

Favorite                                                 Underdog

Rays                                                      Red Sox

-The Rays will win the battle of the bad rivals this series!-   -Watch out Nation, the Rays are on there way-

As you may or may not know, From the Nosebleeds is a new feature to The Pundit, where anyone with the itch to write their take on the sports scene has their forum. Again, please feel free to email me with any material you may have. I will do some editing, and add my own take from time to time, but the floor will be yours.

By Hoffman

It’s been well documented over the years that in the city of Brotherly Love, “we” (Editor’s note: We really do lump ourselves together with the teams and a whole slew of people we don’t even know, as though “we” are connected through the force, or something along such mystical lines) have been without a world championship among the four major sports. For the time being we will forget about pseudo-championship won by the Philadelphia Soul, the arena football team. (Editor’s note: Who?). I tend to think they won not because of great coaching, solid players, and the execution of a good game plan, but rather raucous shouting of Ron “JAWS” Jaworski and the flowing locks of owner, Bon Jovi. I would like to make something extremely clear: I have a strong dislike for Bon Jovi, and I would appreciate if he would find another town to crap in. (Editor’s note: Clearly, Mr. Hoffman wants Bon Jovi out of this town – dead or alive!)

So, going back to my original thought, that being the lack of winning in Philadelphia, I believe that could very well change in the coming weeks. (Editor’s note: People, knock on any wood you have near you, immediately. If you jinx us Mr. Hoffman, I swear to all that is sacred, I'll get you. Believe that!). After watching a rather lackluster performance by the Eagles this Sunday, I was warmed by thought of the Phillies hosting Game 1 of the NLCS. Oh, and by the way, I’ll be attending, ignoring the burning $200 hole in my pocket. (Editor’s note: You can’t put a price on love, people).

For about the past few seasons, the Phillies have been on the cusp of greatness, or at least a playoff berth, dragging true Philly fans along until the last day of the season. Last year they ended a 14-year playoff drought, ending the Atlanta Braves division dominance, all while the Mets stumbled to the finish line (HAHA!!!). I believe last year at this time the Phillies were just happy to make the playoffs. It was a huge hurdle to jump. Obviously, we know how last year ended. The Phillies got in the way of a locomotive, in the form of the Colorado Rockies. (Editor’s note: Ok, I don’t know if it was intended, but I instantly thought about those stupid Coors Light commercials, where the train rolls through the hot areas, making everybody cool, which, if the metaphor was intended, was precisely what the Rockies did to us last year). How torrid they were, winning 14 of 15, and 11 in a row to close the season. They then went on to sweep us in 3, the D-Backs in 4, only to get swept themselves in the Fall Classic against the Red Sox. (Editor’s note: They cooled off. The mountains turned blue. Mmmmmm…beer).

For the last couple years the Phillies have been picked to be very competitive within the very competitive NL East (Braves, Marlins, Nationals, The Mess. Wait, sorry, I meant the Mets). The Phillies can hit and have three legitimate MVP candidates in J-Roll, Utley, and Howard. Everyone knows we can hit, though they haven’t as consistently as I, the fans, and even they would like. Conversely, the pitching has always been thought of as average at best. A group of decent pitchers that give up a lot of hits is something I have become way too accustomed to. But as the Phillies seemingly displaced the wild card winning Brewers with some amount of ease, and the most overwhelming part of the four game series was the quality of the Phillies pitching. It was vital, and dare I say, borderline brilliant.

Cole Hamels has been given the title of staff “ace,” which is a term used much to often around the league these days. When I think of what makes an “ace”, I think of a pitcher who is around the Cy Young Award discussion from the beginning of Spring Training to the first pitch in the autumn air. To be completely honest, Cole isn’t quite there yet. He has all the qualities and attributes to have a great career in this league. Being just 24 years old, his future looks extremely bright. But for now lets leave the “ace” talk for those who truly deserve it, i.e. Brandon Webb. (Editor’s note: I tend to disagree here – I think if Cole Hamels had been given more run support, and thereby gotten more wins, his name would have surfaced more in the Cy Young discussion. He was second in the NL in innings pitched with 227.1, was sixth in ERA at 3.09, was sixth in strikeouts with 196, was fourth in strike out to walk ratio with 3.70 K’s per walk, and was fourth in hits per 9 innings with 7.64. He’s an ace). Cole in game 1 was absolutely stunning. It was an amazing performance, by a guy with seemingly sparse big game experience. That start will propel him throughout the playoffs and probably the next several seasons as he continues to mature.

Brett Myers looks like his old self, or rather a new, better self. Throughout his career in Philly, Brett has had all of the talent, passion, and fire to be great pitcher. But it always seemed like something was getting in the way. And then I figured it out. He couldn’t get out of his own way. His emotion seemed to get the best of him more often than not. His first half of the season, he looked very bad. He couldn’t spot his fastball or even throw it with any sort of velocity. His curveball, which made him a dominant closer in the 2007 season, was non-existent. After coming back from the minors (with the good ol’ Iron Pigs”), Myers has been fantastic, making pitches, throwing with authority and fight, and most importantly, keeping those volatile emotions in check. There have been a few battles between him and manager Charlie Manuel in the past several months regarding Charlie pulling Brett out of the game, but his heart is in the right place.

Game 2 with the Brewers was the pivotal game of the series. Myers was pitching against arguably the best pitcher in the second half of the season, if not the league. CC Sabathia has been pitching out of his mind, posting an 11-2 record with a 1.65 ERA, throwing seven complete games and three shutouts since joining the Brew Crew (show him the money!). But coming off of his fourth straight start on 3 days rest, he was noticeably fatigued. The Phillies bats took advantage of that fatigue, getting out to an early lead with Victorino’s grand salami. They were even able to score runs without help from the glove of Rickie Weeks or Mike Cameron (see Game 1 highlights, or lowlights for the Milwaukee More Taste League).

I’ll quickly touch upon Game 3, as it was a fairly disappointing game, one I missed some due to a little bit of camping. From what I heard and saw as far as highlights, it was not a pretty game. All I have to say is that we need Jamie Moyer (Souderton Graduate in 1981) for the playoffs. We really need him to do well. It would be great if he could throw three consecutive no-hitters, like he did in high school. I mean, seriously…that would be sweeeeeeet!

Joe Blanton has been a great addition to this pitching staff. (Editor’s note: Well, I don’t think I’d go that far). While his midseason numbers were less that spectacular, he did have some playoff experience, which he gained during this days in Oakland. If he can be the pitcher he is capable of being, the Phillies can go a long way this postseason.

I’ll be honest; the Dodgers kind of scare me. They are playing really well, as good as anyone in baseball. They have one of the best modern-day postseason pitchers in Derek Lowe, in my opinion the best hitter, especially in the postseason, and worst left fielder I have ever seen, in Manny Ramirez, and one of the best postseason managers of all-time, in Joe Torre. That is quite a scary combination, but one I am looking forward to face this Thursday. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but I’ll be at the game, and you probably won’t. (Editor’s note: Jerk). With everything I have mentioned above, I still just have a feeling about this group of players, a feeling that winning is not just a destination, but also a journey, a journey that will hopefully end dancing down Broad Street.

I hope to be a regular or irregular contributor to this publication. I can only hope my writing can quench the large thirst of the Pundit. (Editor’s note: To do that, you’ll probably need to bring over a case of beer next time you’re around, Mr. Hoffman).

Long Live the Pundit of Pattison! (Editor’s note: I swear to God, I didn’t add that myself. Seriously. All his doing).