e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Another anti Yankee bandstand jumper.

This just makes being a Yankee fan that much sweeter.

Thanks!

BTW FORTY PENNANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I looked into getting tickets, 200 in the furthest bleachers was the cheapest and there were only a few at that price most were just under 400.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Who says I was paying?

My sister knows some people within the organization. Earlier this year they gave us 4 Delta Sky360 Suite seats for free. Those are seats only available to season tickets holders and at the time were selling for $750/seat (they've since lowered the price to a more reasonable $500 )

Its been about 10 years since Ive seen a Post Season game, the last was in the ALDS against the Rangers in 99. It was a great game, but it was FREEZING in the bleachers.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

meh, i hope Philly wins

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

They're giving away W.S. tickets too?

I've sat in free luxury suite seats before but I never heard of free W.S. tickets, that's a hell of a hook up! Yep, you need to take advantage of that for sure.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

That is how I saw game 7 in 2002 Friend had Disney seats.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Im not naming names, but the person my sister knows is a scout.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Tonto?

Dr. Colorado

Damon was the bombizzle! Riviera has ice in his veins. Cannot wait for Sabathia-Lee

GIBSON6594

Pedro in game 2. I hope he has his stuff, he has so far this year. Hamels for game 3? Could be quick series.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Pedro can go either way just like A.J.

The scope of your baseball illiteracy/Yankee hate blindness is staggering.

This should be the best WS in years maybe decades, it is the first duel of the best teams in both leagues in a long time.

This is a Philly fans take and while I disagree/hope his conclusions are incorrect where they reflect the state of the Yankees I think shows a wealth of knowledge/reason.

http://www.reclinergm.com/2009-world...es-vs-yankees/

The Champs vs. The Yanks

You want star power? East coast bias? Classic franchises? Intriguing match-ups? Crazy fan-bases? This World Series has got about anything you could want as a fan – unless of course you are a Mets fan.

As I said before the NLDS: Until the Phillies lose, I will not be changing the format of my previews. So, in the same format as last year’s preview, here’s my 2009 World Series rundown.
The Aces

Cliff Lee / Cole Hamels

vs. CC Sabathia / A.J. Burnett

I’m going to call CC and Lee a wash. Lee has been slightly better in the playoffs (0.74 ERA vs. 1.19 ERA) and in the regular season (3.22 ERA vs. 3.37 ERA) but has been doing more of it against teams not playing a DH. They are friends and might face each other in Games 1, 4 and 7. We don’t even know who is going for the Phillies in Game 2, but chances are it will be Hamels, and it will likely be Burnett for the Yankees. Neither pitcher has been great in the post-season, but Hamels and his 6.75 ERA are in real danger of getting lit-up by this Yankees line-up. Edge to the Yankees.
The Mids

Joe Blanton / Pedro Martinez / JA Happ / Cliff Lee on 3 days rest

vs. Andy Pettitte / CC Sabathia on 3-days rest

We know Pettitte will go in Game 3, and I am going to assume we will see Pedro there for us with Blanton or Happ ready in reserve. Pettitte has turned it on in the playoffs per usual (2.37 ERA) but hasn’t exactly seen a line-up quite like ours. Also, surprisingly, lefties hit 40 points higher off him than righties on the year, which helps us out as well. Pedro’s only start this postseason was brilliant, giving up only 2 hits in 7 IP in LA. Like Pettitte, he also tunes it up for the playoffs. There is some uncertainty with Pedro, but his numbers when he has pitched, in the regular season and playoffs, are better than Pettitte’s, so I’m giving him the edge.

Since the Yankees are likely to go with a 3-man rotation, CC appears here as well. However, I am going to assume that he won’t be quite as good as he was in Game 1 (see Game 2 of the NLDS last year for comparison). The Phillies could also go with the 3-man rotation, but we don’t know how Lee would perform in his first time on 3-days rest. The point here is that the Phillies have options in Lee, Blanton and Happ, while the Yankees are banking on Sabathia continuing to be sharp on 3 days rest when last year, after pitching on 3-days rest several times in a row, he was chased out in 3 2/3 innings after giving up 6 hits and 5 runs to this same Phillies team. Edge to the Phillies
Leadoffs

Jimmy Rollins / Shane Victorino

vs. Derek Jeter / Johnny Damon

If you add defense fully into this equation, this comparison becomes drastically different, but let’s see if we can settle this on offense first. The Phillies and Yankees are unique at the top of their line-ups in that both of their top-2 guys are HR threats and run producers. Jeter has been ripping up the post-season (1.029 OPS) and after a silver slugger type regular season, he certainly get the advantage over Rollins – though I do think Rollins will step up in the spotlight, as he usually does. The difference is just as big in the 2-spot, with Victorino sporting a 1.161 OPS to Damon’s .677. Let’s see how the combined pairs playoff stats have looked to date…

WS leadofff

The Phillies pair is slightly ahead of the Yankees duo in every category except HR. Add the fact that Rollins and Victorino are the superior baserunners and fielders, and I’m giving the slight edge to the Phillies. Hopefully that’s not too tough for some Yankees fans to deal with, as they tend to be unaware there are many other players who play well in the spotlight besides Captain Jetes.

RBI Guys

Chase Utley / Ryan Howard / Jayson Werth

vs. Mark Teixeira / Alex Rodriguez / Jorge Posada

There is little doubt that we are dealing with the 2 best middle-of-the-orders in all of baseball. A-Rod and Ry-Ho are having historic postseasons, and you could make the argument that the 3-hole hitters on each squad are actually the better baseball players. Like the first category, let’s start by looking at the post-season stats for the trio’s so far.

WS Trios

Once again, the Phillies trio looks better across the board, even with A-Rod’s insane 1.516 OPS. Lost in all the A-Rod hype (and there is no denying that he has been the best player in the playoffs), is that Tex is sporting a Pedro Feliz-esque .580 OPS so far in the playoffs and that Jayson Werth (1.207 OPS) has been just as dominant as Howard. A-Rod is the best player, but for this group, the slight edge goes to the Phillies.

Bottom Feeders

Raul Ibanez / Pedro Feliz / Carlos Ruiz

vs. Hideki Matsui / Robinson Cano / Melky Cabrera

Why stop now? Let’s compare the post-season stats of these guys.

WS bottom

I’ve got to say, I’m surprised at how mediocre the Yankees line-up has been this post-season outside of A-Rod and Jeter. The numbers for this group is pretty even, but I’m giving the slight edge to the Yankees because I’m not sure Carlos Ruiz can keep up being as good as he has been so far (1.000 OPS).
Middle Relief

Ryan Madson / Chan Ho Park / Scott Eyre

vs. Joba Chamberlain / Phil Hughes / David Robertson

This has been a trouble spot for both teams in the regular season and the playoffs. Here are the bullpen numbers for each team in the playoffs (removing the closers).
WS mid

Both squads have clearly gotten themselves out of a lot of trouble, and those comically high WHIPs infer that the ERA’s should be much higher. Again, we have a category where you could make a fully valid argument for each squad, but I am going to give the slight edge to the Yankees here because I just don’t trust our bullpen against a deep American League line-up.
Closer

Brad Lidge

vs. Mariano Rivera

This might be your key to the entire series. So far this postseason, Rivera has pitched 10.2 innings (more than 1 per game), giving up only 7 hits and 1 ER. If he is on, he is impossible to hit, and when we get down to the end of the series we could see him for 2 innings at a time. Without him, this series would have a completely different feel. Lidge’s renaissance has been great, but Rivera is the greatest ever. Edge to the Yankees.
Bench/DH

Ben Francisco / Greg Dobbs / Matt Stairs

vs. Nick Swisher / Brett Gardner / Jerry Hairston Jr.

Obviously we will be using a DH in any games played in Yankee stadium. Hopefully it will be Ben Francisco, who has been underused by Charlie this post-season. After that, our bench has been awful. The last time Greg Dobbs got a hit was October 4th. The last time Stairs got a hit was…wait for it… September 19th. Gardner gives the Yankees a very good defensive replacement and pinch runner and Hairston gives them some pop off the bench. Edge to the Yankees.
Manager

Charlie Manuel

vs. Joe Girardi

Manuel has the ring on his finger and Girardi has had the finger pointed at him for quizzical moves in many of the Yankees losses this postseason. The Angels and Twins seemed scared of the Yankees, with Charlie at the helm, you know our guys won’t be. Edge to the Phillies.
Intangibles

* Yankees have home field advantage
* Phillies have league’s best road record
* The Phillies have slightly better team defense
* Phillies are better baserunners as a team (0.27 vs. -0.87 EqBRR average)
* The Phillies have had a lay-off
* The pressure is on the Yankees, not the Phillies
* Once again, the majority of the “experts” have picked against the Phillies, as they have in the last 4 series the Phillies have won
* We won 2 of 3 (and should have swept) in the Bronx this summer

Once again, the Phillies are the better defensive team, and better base-running team. Slight edge to Phillies.
Prediction

If this isn’t the ultimate Good vs. Evil battle, I don’t know what is. On one end, you have the scrappy Phillies team led by a group a home-grown charismatic talents and a rag-tag manager. On the other end, you have the Yankees, a team full of (mostly) bought talent, led by a player who in addition to frosting his hair, admitted to steroid use earlier this season and is cheered on by fans who (mostly) think that a World Series title is their birthright.

The Yankees are favored to win this series, and until I really looked at the numbers, I agreed. It’s an incredibly tough series to call (5 to 5 on the above categories), but here are my reasons why either team could win…

5 Reasons Why the Phillies could win

* CC don’t scare me, and he don’t scare the Phillies. Including last year’s playoff game, our players have a career .278 average against Sabathia and rocked him in the playoffs last year. He was clearly rattled in CBP. I expect him to pitch well in Game 1, but perhaps struggle in Game 4.
* Regular season numbers don’t carry over. When you look at the Yankees line-up 1-9, the regular season numbers are staggering. But as I said earlier, aside from Jeter and A-Rod, they have struggled in the playoffs against better pitching. If you take A-Rod and Jeter out of the equation, their team OPS is .660. Or the same as David Eckstein had during the regular season.
* Joba and Phil. Young, hard throwing righties who have a tendency to lose control of their pitches and can be rattled by loud crowds? Our lefties vs. these two guys in the 7th and 8th could play a big role.
* Fundamentals. The Yankees got a ton of breaks in the first 2 rounds with terrible defense and base running by the Twins and Angels (not to mention a ridiculous umpiring call or two). I don’t expect that to happen again.
* Under Pressure. The Yankees gargantuan payroll and vicious media make this a win-or-get-smeared-all-winter series for the Yankees. The Phillies meanwhile, are in a place where we are behind them no matter what.

5 Reasons Why the Yankees could win

* Rivera, Rivera, Rivera. The #1 weapon in this entire series is Mariano Rivera. The Phillies had 9th inning comebacks in both the Rockies and Dodgers series. I wouldn’t count on that again.
* The light turns on. As I said above, most of the Yankees line-up has been hitting poorly this post-season. But that doesn’t mean they will. If a couple more guys get hot, no pitching can stop their line-up.
* Home Field. I think this is a big deal, not because we can’t win on the road, but because our crowds have shown they can really shake up the opposing players in CBP. Perfect examples are the crowd willing CC Sabathia into a huge Brett Myers walk last year, and the “unnamed” Rays player telling Jayson Werth he was terrified to play in Philly during the series last year.
* Our 8th and 9th? Last year, the 8th and 9th innings were easy for the Phils, this year they have been more of an adventure, and I still think we are very vulnerable there.
* $210 million. A payroll like that usually buys you pretty good depth (but only 3 starting pitchers apparently), which the Yankees have on their bench.

I think the Yankees are being played up a little too much by the media (shocking). They beat a non-playoff team in the ALDS and had the Angels forget how to play the game in the ALCS. The Phillies will be, by far, the best team they have faced this post-season. The Yankees will also be, by far, the best team the Phillies have played.

We know that anything can happen in a 7-game series. There is no clear favorite here and a good argument can be made for either squad, as is usually the case in the playoffs. In the end, I don’t think that Yankees starters are good enough to hold us down, and our solid fundamentals won’t give them any easy wins. The Phillies are looking to become one of the greatest teams of all time, while the Yankees are simply looking to be the most recent Yanks squad to do what they are supposed to do. Phillies repeat and cement a legacy while the Bronx burns.

Final prediction: Phillies in Six

Scottman111

I also think Burnett and Hamels will struggle.

I'm not a fan of either team, but I think it will be a good series to watch. Not sure I'm ready to make a prediction though

waTSX

HERE WE GO PHILLIES!

GIBSON6594

I would really prefer if you didn't respond to my posts. Your personality sucks.

Anyway, obviously I hate the Phillies too, but I think they will win. Just like your copy-paste skills state.

And saying that a pitcher might not be good, when I say he might, exemplifies just how much sense you make.

Pedro's line this post season- 7.0IP - 2 hits - 0 Runs - 3Ks.

Not to mention he went 5-1 in 9 starts with an era under 4.00

But I'm illiterate, so your great comment of "he could go either way" was much more insightful to all of us, I'm sure.

paz840

iTrader: (2)

^

+1

SG81

iTrader: (1)

regardless of my hate for the Yankees (b/c i'm a Jays fan ) i just hope it's a good, long series

Scottman111

^

Amen

Is 7 games too much to ask?

Dr. Colorado

^Would prefer 4 game sweep by Yanks. I was getting an ulcer from those extra-inning marathons in the ALCS.

Scottman111

Well that's the price you pay for having your team in it...the rest of us just want some entertainment

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

You clearly know all, I prefer you would go away entirely, that has about as much chance of happening as my not saying what I have to say.

Apparently you don't understand what you read/read into it as you want.

I said Pedro can be good or he can be bad. I know that was hard to understand.

I can see the logic where you dislike a team in your team's league, in your team's division, the team that won the division and thereby kept (but not really since your team was TWENTY THREE GAMES BEHIND) your team out of the post season as much as the Yankees. Makes perfect sense.

If the Yankees had the Mets record I'd be upset with them, no other team blew it but the team that only won 70 games. Hell the Mets were 21 games out of the freaking WILDCARD!

What is it with you and hate? Do you understand the scope of that word?

I do not hate the Red Sox, the team the Yankees have the most contentious relationship with, let alone any other team.

This will be a very good series, I of course want my team to win but should they lose I will congratulate the Phillies, their city and fans. I can appreciate a good play when executed by the opposing team, although it may piss me off.

Don't want me to respond? Don't post, especially don't respond to me unless you want a response FROM ME.

GIBSON6594

Your clarifications are great So you are saying a pitcher can be good or bad, thanks man. You really won the right to call other people illiterate with that comment.

Jesus, are you reading what you write? Just go away. Are you really asking me if I understand the severity of the word "hate?" Shut up man.

I really don't care about who you hate or like.

You can also stop trying to upset me by making fun of the Mets record. I know they were terrible this season. Half the team was hurt, it doesn't bother me. It doesn't affect me when you write how many games out they were in capital letters. But if that's your tactic, go ahead. Most Mets fans hate the Yankees, in fact, most any other team's fan hate the Yankees. Just something you're going to have to understand.

Just stop man, my post wasn't directed to you, it was a general statement. It was directed to the thread title. You responded to it, rudely I might add. You're not fooling anyone with the "don't respond to if you don't want me to respond" crap. You act like a 4 year old.

Gfaze

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Genius, when you QUOTE someone, you are RESPONDING to them.

70 wins sucks btw in case you did not know, also claiming injuries as an excuse is lame.

Glad to see I am not bothering you, Id' HATE to see your reactions if I were.

You could be smart or dumb, who knows?

GIBSON6594

ok, I will break it down for you.

Wow, see post 369? Did I quote you? No

Did you respond? Yes

Now tell me again who the genius is?

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Post 380. Go home and get your shine box.

70 wins.

GIBSON6594

wow, you are dense. I can't believe I'm wasting time doing this, but here goes, I'll try again.

My post, the one numbered 369, that was not quoting you. You responded to it, rudely. I then stated that I would prefer it if you didn't respond to my posts.

Get it know?

P.S. quoting movies like that makes you sound really cool.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

I had a response to your post, (369) so I did.

Knowing it was a movie quote makes you cool too.

When you post on a public forum you never know what response you'll get.

Get it now???

See how that is a double edged sword?

Now go home and get your shine box.

GIBSON6594

Well, that's past my level of time wasting. I'm done with this, again.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

For the record, I hate the Yankees too.

e30 I told you, its either you hate the Yanks or you love them, not dislike, hate. As a Yankees fan you should be used to people bashing the Yanks. Jeebus for someone that doesn't like the word hate you sure do start a lot of crap with peeps to the point where people hate you. Hmmm...that's ironic.

Just sit back and relax because its gonna be a good series.

I'm before I get banned.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

I thought we were having a friendly exchange of ideas.

I am bored sitting in a hospital waiting room, thank god for iPhone tethering.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

I think you forgot the red text.

subinf

Can both of you stop shitting up this thread.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Post #1:

How does one "sh*t up" a thread that has that as post#1?

BlueAc

iTrader: (2)

Until proven other wise are still...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8faZC2fYHg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwh9wuQAlU8



Seriously though, I can't wait for this series to kick off. It's rare that you see the best two teams meeting up in the big game.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Absofreakinglutely. This SHOULD be the best series in years. Win or lose I predict some great nail biting baseball!

May the best team win & we get good weather & especially OFFICIATING.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Amen to that.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

Good pull e30cabrio!

I hope it goes to seven games, just because I want to watch seven more games of baseball. Regardless, its a sad time, baseball season is almost over.

AznX TL

wow for a team who barely won the ALCS they like to talk smack against a team who smashed the dodgers in the NLCS.

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

4-2 is not barely & comparing one series to another is pointless.

Thanks for the covers, pretty funny.

madcaps

iTrader: (1)

I see what he is saying.

Sure they beat the Angels 4-2 in the series, however, other than game 4 where they beat the Angels 10-1, they could only beat the Angels by no more then 3 runs in the rest of the series. As opposed to the Phillies who whooped the crap out of the Dodgers and took full advantage of every opportunity. The Phillies bats were on fire, while the Yanks bats were slightly warm in comparison. Sure the Phils scored 35 times in the NLCS, while the Yanks scored 33 times. And the Yanks only allowed the Angels to score 19 runs, but the Phils only allowed the Dodgers to score 16. Thats more than twice as much! All I'm saying is I hope C.C. and the other pitchers are well prepared to give up some hits. It is going to be a good matchup thats for sure!

e30cabrio

iTrader: (6)

Comparing Phillies Dodgers vs Yankees Angels is meaningless, the variables are incalculable.

Why not compare the number of wins regular season? Or number of games at home that were won? Or who has bigger average shoe size?

Bottom line is they will play the series in front of them and someone will win.

They both took 9 games to get to the WS.