Going Down A Short Road

So did you ever take a second to ponder why they call the the leader of a Major League Baseball team a manager, and not just a head coach?  Well, it's because they manage.  They are supposed to manage the game and talent in a way that will produce a favorable outcome for their team.  Without a good manager, good talent is easily wasted, and with a great manager, sub-par talent is sometimes well utilized to an extent that produces unexpected results.  Why don't other sports have managers?  In football you have a head coach, but then you also have coordinators for offense, defense, special teams, quarterbacks, linebackers, etc.  In basketball you have a head coach and he or she designs plays, coordinates substitutions, and calls timeouts; but the execution of the game is in the hands of the players.  In hockey, it's a similar situation to basketball - line changes, play calling, and timeouts are all coaching responsibilities, but execution resides with the players.  Looking back to baseball, you have many coaches, but one manager.  The manager sets a lineup and pitching rotation that change daily based on matchups, he can stop the game at anytime he wants to adjust the circumstances of the game, and every decision he makes does not just effect one game, but potentially the next four...especially in the playoffs.  Ultimately baseball players have the power to execute a play, but a manager has the power to execute a game, season, or championship run.   The bottom line is that a big league manager makes or breaks a team's season.

Okay, okay, so what's the point?  The point is that Joe Girardi is on the verge of managing the New York Yankees into the end of their season...and not they way that Yankees fans expect it to end.  In my playoff predictions, I got virtually every single thing wrong, but now Girardi is giving me a chance to be right about one thing - his poor managing will be the demise of they Yankees Championship run.  How so?  He is starting A.J. Burnett tonight, and leaving one of the most successful postseason starters in history, Andy Pettitte, on the bench.

It doesn't matter that Pettitte is on 3-days rest, this is what he came to the Yankees for, to pitch big games in the playoffs.  I don't care what Burnett's numbers are at home this year, or how he has better "stuff" then Pettitte.  Pettitte is not a great postseason pitcher because of the amount of wins he has, rather it is because of the type of wins that he has - HUGE wins, wins that bail the Yankees out of a tight spot.  He is notorious for winning after a Yankees loss in the playoffs.  The last time the Yanks were in the Series [2003] they lost Game 1 of the ALDS, ALCS, and the World Series.  Andy Pettitte started, and won Game 2 in all three series.

Okay, there's the backround - fast-forward to present day, Thursday, October 29th.  The Yanks are down 1-0 to the Phillies, after C.C. Sabathia, their high-priced ace came up short in Game 1.  They are going with Burnett because that was the "plan" and he has good numbers at home, but who cares!?  He's going against Pedro, in danger of heading to Philly down 2-0!  I'm sorry A.J. but your very thin playoff resume does not give you much of a chance in such a big game.

Now let's get back to the concept of managing.  Starting Burnett tonight will be felt in more than just one game.  Lets say the Yankees lose tonight, head to Philly down 2-0, win Game 3 behind Pettitte, and C.C. gets bested by Cliff Lee again in Game 4.  Now in a season deciding game on the road, Joe Girardi will have to put the Yankees season in the hands of Burnett, unless Chad Gaudin will get the ball (yea right).  Now let's look at it the smart way, the Yankees win Game 2 behind Pettitte, then Burnett has a better chance against a struggling Hamels in Game 3 and the Yankees could be up 2-1.  Or even if Burnett loses on the road, like everyone is afraid of, and C.C. loses Game 4, putting the Yanks down 3-1, guess who can save the Yanks in Game 5 and bring the Series back to the Bronx - Andy. Freaking. Pettitte.  Really, this isn't rocket science, but Girardi can't seem to put the pieces together.  As a manager, you need to set yourself up so that in the event your back is against the wall, you can put your best team on the field.  And let's face it, the Yankees best team isn't on the field unless #46 is on the mound with his hat pulled down over his head, and his glove covering his face.  

Now, baseball is a game of crazy occurrences, and Burnett could very well win tonight.  But I'll be honest, in my humble opinion, that with Pedro pitching in the Bronx and the Phillies craving a 2-0 lead...he won't.

A Rock And A Hard Place

So tonight is Game 1.  Game 1 of a World Series matchup that has unbiased fans everywhere scratching their heads.  Who do I root for?  Who do I dislike more?  How did this happen?  These are just a few of the confounding questions that have made their way through the heads of baseball fans around the country ever since Mariano Rivera struck out Gary Matthews Jr. on Sunday night to end the ALCS.

It is no secret that baseball is a game fueled by passion; not just for the players, coaches, or the executives involved, but most importantly for the fans.  People go through the ups and downs of their lives; they go to college, they get married, they have kids, they lose loved ones, they leave old jobs and start new ones, but as James Earl Jones but it in The Field of Dreams, "the one constant has been baseball."  This game, and the team that any one of us decides to cheer for becomes and remains a part of our identity; through wins and losses, summers and winters, joys and sorrows; the game is always there, March through October, year in and year out.

And so as a result of that passion, teams like the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees have developed very strong fan bases; fan bases that are sometimes too strong for their own good.  In fact, the arrogance of Yankees fans over the last few decades, and of Phillies fans for the past few years has grown both groups many enemies.  With that being said, many fans find themselves wondering who they'd like to see win this year's championship for the simple fact that there is no underdog.

Usually, fans who have lost their teams in the playoffs or regular season cling to the underdog because underdogs are unpredictable, their exciting, they play like they've got nothing to lose.  Well the 2009 World Series doesn't have an underdog, you've got the defending Champions of the 2008 season defending their title against...well...the defending champions of the last century.  We could've had Joe Torre and the LA Dodgers fighting to return to past glory, or the LA Angels fighting to win one for their lost teammate Nick Adenhart, or the jump-start Rockies trying to imitate their miracle run of 2007.  But no, instead we've got the Phils and the Yanks.

So no matter who wins, the fans of the underdog lose - it's like a real life version of Alien vs. Predator.  Either way, we'll have to listen to Yankees fans brag about 27 rings or Phillies fans brag about back-to-back Championships.  And to add to the arrogance of fans, you can see it in some players as well - Jimmy Rollins has Phillies fans everywhere calling him a prophet because he predicted that the Phillies would win the division in 2007 and would win 100 games in 2008.  With both predictions coming true, Rollins has taken his arrogance to a new level, now predicting that the Phillies will beat the Yankees in five games or, "six if their nice."

The bottom line is that either way we'll have to listen to someone brag, but at least we'll also get to see someone eat their words.  The point is that let's hope that this never happens again; we all love for our team to be the one in the World Series, but if it can't be us, at least let it be an underdog that we'd all love to see pull off a miracle. 

Until that day comes, as much as we hate it, we've all got to sit down tonight, turn on the TV, listen to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver welcome us to the broadcast...and for what its worth, enjoy the game.

The Best Month Of The Year

From the chill of the breeze to the smell of the air, there is nothing better than walking outside, taking in the atmosphere, and realizing that it's time for playoff baseball. Today is day 1 of the MLB postseason and it couldn't come any sooner. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the front page of today's edition of USA Today says it all. The picture of the Minnesota Twins jumping around in pure excitement, following their 12-inning win in last night's one-game playoff against the Detroit Tigers, is an innocent reminder of how much the game of baseball is defined by passion.

In recent years, Major League Baseball promotions have used the phrases "I live for this," "I love this game," and "This is beyond baseball," to describe the emotional moments that have defined the game's history. These phrases are embodied by every fan who gets chilled to the bone by the voice of a radio broadcaster calling a walk-off homerun. Baseball is a magic that humbles people to their youngest, most innocent form. For the big tough ballplayers who complain about their salaries, they are reduced to childish dog-piles when winning a big game. And as for the people who are spectators, the fans, the businessmen who work endless hours in "big-boy jobs," they are reduced to tears as the game of baseball usually can make or break their year.

No matter who it is, when you walk into that ballpark, hit the power button on your HDTV, or turn the knob on your radio - you have removed yourself from the toils of everyday life, and you have allowed yourself to yet again be captured by this most wonderful game.

With that being said, let's take a look at this year's postseason and join fans around the world in making some bold predictions...


*Division Series*

*Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Rockies win in 5.
As much as the Rockies record is inflated by having 21 wins against the Padres and Diamondbacks, they still have a flare for the dramatic and can take advantage of a dismal Philadelphia bullpen. The Phillies have a rotation that could stifle any lineup, with Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Pedro Martinez leading the way, but unless they each throw complete game shut-outs, the bullpen is going to be a valid concern. The year of the Phillies was 2008 and they don't seem to have the same magic, especially with their 'leader' Hamels complaining about playing back-to-back day games instead of talking about how excited he is for the postseason.

*St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Cardinals win in 5.
Despite having the best record in the National League and claiming home-field advantage, many critics might see the Dodgers as the underdogs in this series. With potential co-Cy Young winners Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter at the front of a 4-man playoff rotation, I find it hard to bet against the Cardinals. Not to mention a lineup that is poised to do damage with one of the best 3-4 combinations around in Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. The Dodgers struggled down the stretch, losing 5-of-6 to the Pirates and Padres, before taking 2-of-3 against the Rockies to end the season. Manny has yet to find his groove, and the rotation has been confusingly inconsistent. If LA pulls it off, I can guarantee it will be thanks to the arms of Clayton Kershaw and Randy Wolf.

*Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees

Yankees win in 4.
As much as the Twins have shocked the world with their September heroics - winning 17 of 21 - all good things must come to an end. The fact that the Twins could barely inch out the Tigers is a statement of what a mis-match it is for them to try and tackle the Yankees. Simply put, the Yankees are a titan of a competitor and just have two many weapons to fall anywhere short of dominating the Twins. No disrespect to the Twins, they have all the heart in the world, but used 8 pitchers in the 1-game-playoff and are coming into the ALDS with their rotation all out of sorts. The Twinkies will steal a game, but the Yanks will make quick work of this series. This season was a great way to end the Metrodome's lifespan though.

*Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

Red Sox win in 5.
This was a tough call, especially with the Angels having a lot to play for as they continue to remember lost teammate Nick Adenhart. The Angels bring many pluses to the table - a fantasy team for a lineup, the rally monkey, revenge from last year's early exit agains the BoSox - but Boston's pitching will again prove to much to handle for the Halos. The 1-2 punch of Lester and Beckett, plus a rejuvenated Dice-K and the best bullpen of the 8 playoff teams is an equation that equals a Red Sox victory.


*Championship Series*

*Colorado Rockies vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals win in 6.
Unlike 2006 when the Cardinals made it to the World Series on a fluke with an 83-win season, this year they will earn it. The Wainwright-Carpenter tag team is as good as we've seen this decade, comparing to Johnson-Schilling (2001) and Schilling-Beckett (2007). After going 1-6 against the Rockies in the regular season, the Cardinals will find their groove and send the resilient group of athletes packing.

*Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees

Red Sox win in 7.
We haven't seen this match-up since 2004 when the Sox re-wrote history as they came back from being down 3-0 to the Spankees. This time the teams will take a more balanced path to Game 7. This series will likely be more exciting than the World Series itself, as it promises to have quite the set of pitching duels. We will finally see a balance of competition after the Red Sox posted 8 straight wins in regular season head-to-head contests and the Yankees took 9 of the last 10 I think the Burnett vs. Beckett showdown in August was a great preview of the type of atmosphere we can come to expect in this year's ALCS. The X-factor in this series will be the managerial showdown between Joe Girardi and Terry Francona. In Girardi's first trip to the playoffs as a manager, he needs to earn a few stripes before being able to get into the World Series. Many forget that it was Girardi's poor managing that held back the 2006 rookie Marlins from completing a late-season playoff run. Also, the Sox pitching staff will prove to much for the Yankees to match in a long series like this one.


*World Series - St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Sox*

Red Sox win in 7.
In a rematch of the 2004 World Series, we may have a contest that goes more than 5 games for the first time since 2003. Pitching will continue to define the 2009 postseason as these two teams of red throw ace-quality pitching on the mound game after game, inning after inning. Not to mention the batting showdowns of David 'Big Papi' Ortiz and Jason Bay opposing the Pujols-Holliday dream team. Count on both teams to bring it, and bring it hard. This will not be an easily won World Series, but the experience of the Red Sox and the passion that their home crowd will bring to Game 7 will be the deciding factor.