All-East World Series: Yankees vs. Phillies

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 10/28/2009

NEW YORK — I've been looking forward to this showdown, the heart of a champion.

The Philadelphia Phillies led by Ryan Howard, winners of 93 games during the regular season, made quick work of Colorado (3-1) in the Divisional playoff and dusted off the Los Angeles Dodgers (4-1) for the second year in succession to capture the National League Championship.

Careful what you ask for — you might get it. The Phillies wanted the Yankees, and now they have a date with the best team money can buy, the 26-time World Series champions.

For the 40th time, the Yankees are in the Fall Classic. This year's version won 103 games, lost 59, swept the Twins (3-zip) in the Division playoffs, and beat the Los Angeles Angels (4-2). The Yankees have not been in the series since 2003.

This team is loaded with talent led by the Yankee Captain Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira, the likely AL MVP.

Both teams have a lot in common; they play power baseball with the ability to hit the long ball and score lots of runs. The Yankees and Phillies ranked 1-2 in homeruns and runs scored.

The Yankees have the home field advantage in this best-of-seven series, which starts Wednesday night by virtue of the AL winning the All-Star game. Both teams even have as their staff ace a former Cleveland Indian Cy Young Award winner.

Big CC Sabathia has been lights out for the Yankees so far. He signed for $161 million and is 3-0 in the playoffs after going 19-7 in the regular season. The Phillies have Cliff Lee. Lee was the 2008 AL Cy Young winner; Sabathia won the honor in 2007.

The National League Phillies are really good and are trying to repeat as World Champions for the first time since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds. Who can forget that crew with Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Manager Sparky Anderson? They were the Big Red Machine and won back-to-back World Series titles.

I'm picking the Yankees in six games as Rodriguez gets the monkey off his back this post season, never having won the big one.

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2).

Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-re corder.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .