Steelers 27 - Cardinals 23
MVP: Willie Parker
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, October 20, 2008
World Series Preview:
There are many different factors that go into this series.
Starting Pitching:
The Phillies have Cole Hamels at the top and he will need to pitch on short rest twice (Games 1, 4, 7) for the Phillies to have a chance. Bretty Myers is good but is inconsistent. The Rays have Jamie Shields, Kazmir and Garza to counter. Kazmir doesn't go deep into games but will neutralize the lefties of the Phillies.
Edge: RAYS
Hitting:
Rollins, Utley and Howard are some of the most dangerous hitters in the game. Rollins sets the table and the other guys drive him in. If BJ Upton and Longoria stay hot they can carry the Rays offensively.
Edge: PHILLIES
Bullpen:
Brad Lidge has not blown a save in a long time and the Rays don't have a closer. Before Game 5 of the ALCS the Rays bullpen was fantastic. After that they have been a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I don't know who will close for them (should be David Price) and getting to the closer will be difficult. One advantage they do have (especially in NL parks) is multiple left handers to match up with lefties.
Edge: PHILLIES
Home field advantage: Obviously goes to the Rays who have been fantastic at home all year. I don't think the DH factor will make much of a difference. It's not like you have to play David Ortiz at first base.
X-Factors:
Rays: (a) lefty relievers to face the Phillies lefties.
(b) David Price. I've been raving about this guy for the last 12 hours and I'll continue to do so until he proves otherwise. If he can be effective as a closer or give an inning+ out of the pen he poses a threat to the Phillies. His control looked good last night, he was calm in a tremendously pressurized situation, and he is another lefty that can face Utley and Howard.
Phillies: Long layoff. We've seen this before. Last year the Rockies and the year before that the Tigers had long layoffs before the World Series began. Each of those teams came out flat and lost any chance of winning the first game (maybe first 2 games). We'll see how this affects the Phillies bats.
3 Question to be answered:
1. Can the Rays bullpen get the job done?
2. Will the long layoff affect the Phillies?
3. Can Upton and Longoria out-slug Utley and Howard?
Prediction:
To those questions I say yes, no, and yes.
I expect these games to be very well played. Both teams play good defense, especially in the outfield, and have very good pitching. As most games do, this series will come down to pitching. I think the Rays have better starting pitching, home field advantage and are riding a magical season.
Furthermore, look at the 2 leagues. The Rays have played FAR SUPERIOR competition both in the division, league and playoffs. They outlasted the Yankees and Red Sox for the division. They overcame a major loss in Game 5. They were mentally tested in Game 7. The Phillies are good but the Rays are better.
RAYS IN 6
Starting Pitching:
The Phillies have Cole Hamels at the top and he will need to pitch on short rest twice (Games 1, 4, 7) for the Phillies to have a chance. Bretty Myers is good but is inconsistent. The Rays have Jamie Shields, Kazmir and Garza to counter. Kazmir doesn't go deep into games but will neutralize the lefties of the Phillies.
Edge: RAYS
Hitting:
Rollins, Utley and Howard are some of the most dangerous hitters in the game. Rollins sets the table and the other guys drive him in. If BJ Upton and Longoria stay hot they can carry the Rays offensively.
Edge: PHILLIES
Bullpen:
Brad Lidge has not blown a save in a long time and the Rays don't have a closer. Before Game 5 of the ALCS the Rays bullpen was fantastic. After that they have been a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. I don't know who will close for them (should be David Price) and getting to the closer will be difficult. One advantage they do have (especially in NL parks) is multiple left handers to match up with lefties.
Edge: PHILLIES
Home field advantage: Obviously goes to the Rays who have been fantastic at home all year. I don't think the DH factor will make much of a difference. It's not like you have to play David Ortiz at first base.
X-Factors:
Rays: (a) lefty relievers to face the Phillies lefties.
(b) David Price. I've been raving about this guy for the last 12 hours and I'll continue to do so until he proves otherwise. If he can be effective as a closer or give an inning+ out of the pen he poses a threat to the Phillies. His control looked good last night, he was calm in a tremendously pressurized situation, and he is another lefty that can face Utley and Howard.
Phillies: Long layoff. We've seen this before. Last year the Rockies and the year before that the Tigers had long layoffs before the World Series began. Each of those teams came out flat and lost any chance of winning the first game (maybe first 2 games). We'll see how this affects the Phillies bats.
3 Question to be answered:
1. Can the Rays bullpen get the job done?
2. Will the long layoff affect the Phillies?
3. Can Upton and Longoria out-slug Utley and Howard?
Prediction:
To those questions I say yes, no, and yes.
I expect these games to be very well played. Both teams play good defense, especially in the outfield, and have very good pitching. As most games do, this series will come down to pitching. I think the Rays have better starting pitching, home field advantage and are riding a magical season.
Furthermore, look at the 2 leagues. The Rays have played FAR SUPERIOR competition both in the division, league and playoffs. They outlasted the Yankees and Red Sox for the division. They overcame a major loss in Game 5. They were mentally tested in Game 7. The Phillies are good but the Rays are better.
RAYS IN 6
The Rays are in the World Series???
I admit I am shocked. Down 7-0 in game 5, the Red Sox pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in history. 7th inning, 2 outs, a couple of "meaningless" singles, and then an Ortiz 3-run HR. At that point I said it was over.....not just the game, but the season. I've seen this before. I big Ortiz HR or a couple of "meaningless" hits catapulting a desperate team to a WS victory. I said the Red Sox would not lose a game the rest of the postseason. How do you recover from being on the cusp of the World Series and then completely choking? I didn't think they could do it.
Before Game 5 one might say that the Red Sox would win that game, but then come back to Tampa and lose in Game 6. If they were able to force a 7th game they would be in total control because the Rays are too young to respond to that type of game. That script was playing out pretty until the middle innings last night. First of all, Matt Garza was GREAT! He pitched late into the game, gave up only a couple of hits and shut down the Red Sox offense.
As the 8th inning began to unfold - signs for the Sox began to emerge. The great Yankees teams had it too. Things start to go your way, the other team feels the pressure and before you know it, the better team takes the lead. The Rays made an error on the lead off hitter and had to go to the pen. The Red Sox got another hit to make it first and 2nd and now it was inevitable. Who was going to get the big hit? Coming up were Pedroia (the league MVP), Ortiz, Youkilis and JD Drew. The bases were loaded and Drew was up - the same guy who hit what Bill Simmons calls the "$14 Million Grand Slam." The same guy who hit a 2-run HR as well as the game winning double in Game 5.
The Rays seemed to have no answer. But then the September call-up, future ace and Cy Young award winner David Price announced his presence on the major league scene. Price is a hard throwing left hander who throws 95 and has a great slider (Randy Johnson???) and apparently is a mentally tough pitcher. How many pitchers, let alone rookies, would be as calm as he was and be able to get the 4 biggest outs in team history? Not many. Price was sensational. He got Drew to strike out and breezed through the 9th after only yielding a walk.
Preview of World Series - next....
Before Game 5 one might say that the Red Sox would win that game, but then come back to Tampa and lose in Game 6. If they were able to force a 7th game they would be in total control because the Rays are too young to respond to that type of game. That script was playing out pretty until the middle innings last night. First of all, Matt Garza was GREAT! He pitched late into the game, gave up only a couple of hits and shut down the Red Sox offense.
As the 8th inning began to unfold - signs for the Sox began to emerge. The great Yankees teams had it too. Things start to go your way, the other team feels the pressure and before you know it, the better team takes the lead. The Rays made an error on the lead off hitter and had to go to the pen. The Red Sox got another hit to make it first and 2nd and now it was inevitable. Who was going to get the big hit? Coming up were Pedroia (the league MVP), Ortiz, Youkilis and JD Drew. The bases were loaded and Drew was up - the same guy who hit what Bill Simmons calls the "$14 Million Grand Slam." The same guy who hit a 2-run HR as well as the game winning double in Game 5.
The Rays seemed to have no answer. But then the September call-up, future ace and Cy Young award winner David Price announced his presence on the major league scene. Price is a hard throwing left hander who throws 95 and has a great slider (Randy Johnson???) and apparently is a mentally tough pitcher. How many pitchers, let alone rookies, would be as calm as he was and be able to get the 4 biggest outs in team history? Not many. Price was sensational. He got Drew to strike out and breezed through the 9th after only yielding a walk.
Preview of World Series - next....
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