WORLD SERIES BREAKDOWN: A METS FAN'S WORST NIGHTMARE

Tonight the most anticipated World Series in years will begin in the Bronx as the New York Yankees host the defending champion, Philadelphia Phillies. It isn't often that the World Series includes the two best teams in baseball, but that is the case this year. The Phillies feature an even better team that won the whole thing last year, and the Yankees showcase a team led by Alex Rodriguez who has finally put his postseason demons aside.

Here is my breakdown and prediction for the 105th edition of the Fall Classic:

Offense- Not many teams can say they have an offense on the level of the Yankees, but the Phillies can say just that. Of course you've heard of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollings, but their "role" players feature individuals who would be stars on other teams like Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino. Even catcher, Carlos Ruiz, has been a clutch performer in the last two postseasons. With that said, the Yankees have the hottest player on the planet in A-Rod. A-Rod should have been the ALCS MVP and has started to get Barry Bonds treatment. Mark Teixeira has been ice cold, but showed signs of heating up toward the end of the Angels series. He will play an impact in the World Series. And did I forget to mention Jeter, Damon, Matsui, Posada and Cano? Edge: Even

Bench- The Phillies don't have much on the pine, and in the AL park they'll insert either Ben Francisco or Matt Stairs into the lineup. The Yankees have added Eric Hinske back to the roster to go with Brett Gardner for speed, Jerry Hairston, and then they'll have Matsui on the pine when the series goes back to Philly. Edge: Yankees

Defense- You've heard about the Yankees powerful infield, but they are just as good with the glove. Everyone has seen the plays Jeter has made in the playoffs, but how about the glove of Teixeira? He didn't hit in the AL playoffs, but his glove may have won the Yankees a couple of games. He seems to have a gravitational pull in any inning where the opposition is threatening. Cano has tremendous range, and outside catching popups, A-Rod is as good as they get at third base. Their outfield is suspect and expect Girardi to use defensive replacements should the Yankees lead late. The Phillies boast a pretty good defense as well, and they might be better in the outfield than the Yankees. However, they have a couple of flaws. Utley has had trouble throwing the ball to first base, and even though Howard has improved big time at first, he is no Mark Teixeira. Edge: Yankees

Starting Pitching- The CC Sabathia/Cliff Lee matchup in Game 1 is perhaps one of the best matchups in recent World Series memories. They have both performed like top flight aces as they certainly are. I would say in normal situations that the Phillies have the next best starter in Cole Hamels, but he is having a big-time off year. Therefore, the next best pitcher is Andy Pettitte. He has been huge this postseason. Then it is anyone's guess with A.J. Burnett and Hamels. I'm worried about Pedro Martinez in Game 2 for the Phillies. I know Charlie Manuel is banking on his experience, but I would have started lefty J.A. Happ. The Yankees rotation is clearly deeper and they have the one starter who has proven he can pitch well on short rest in Sabathia. Edge: Yankees

Relief Pitching- Mariano... enough said? Everyone else in both pens are major wildcards. Edge: Yankees

Manager- I have never been a fan of Charlie Manuel, but give him credit for creating an atmosphere that has allowed his Phillies to be successful. Other than that, I have always scratched my head at some of the moves he's made. Joe Girardi on the other hand has had a questionable postseason. I think critics have been too tough on him as most of his moves have worked. I was puzzled by Alfredo Aveces in Game 2 vs. the Angels, and his pinch-running of A-Rod in Game 5. I think Girardi is the better manager, but I think Manuel has a better feel for his team at the moment. Edge: Even

Intangibles- Now, I've given all the edges to the Yankees, but other than in the bullpen they are slight, slight edges. The Phillies are a damn good team that has found ways to win this entire postseason. Whether it was Game 4 vs. Colorado or Game 4 vs. Los Angeles, this team is NEVER out of a game. On the other hand, the Yankees have an extra home game and have already developed some magic in their new park. They simply don't lose there. However, I think since this Phillies team has won and is such a cohesive group, I will give them the edge here. Edge: Phillies

Pick- Phillies in 7; It is hard to see the Yankees losing a clinching game in their building, but if any team can do it it is Philadelphia. I will pick the champs to repeat!

MVP- Jayson Werth

Pat Morgan

YANKS DROP TO 0-8 AGAINST THE RED SOX

Though many Yankees and their fans believed that the Yankees would finally beat out the Red Sox, fate decided to make the game go a different way. Sabathia and his wet Yankees slipped up and lost their lead at Fenway park last night, making that eight straight games the Red Sox have beaten the Yankees.

Q: How bad are the Yankees against the Red Sox?
A: So bad that Ortiz can hit homers off them!

Sorry, I had to do that. Anyway, the Yankees are taking a lot of heat about this, which they should be. The Yankees have been playing well and can use their very expensive threats against other teams. However against the Sox, apparently the money just falls flat.

Now, there are a lot of people, including sports writers and anchors who believe that this is just a phenomenon that will go away eventually. Oh the poor Yankees. Many of them will make excuses, such as the first five loses against the Red Sox don't count because A-Rod (now known as Ster-Roid) was out due to recovering from his surgery. Okay, so even if I gave those five games to you saying that was a fluke, what about these past three games? I watched last night when the Red Sox came from behind and then closed out the soggy Yanks with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth with Papelbon. However, I will not allow people, at least those who I have contact with, tell me that the only reason the Yankees lost the first five games was because of A-Rod missing the action. If only one person can make a team win, then I'm putting all my money on the Bills winning the Super Bowl next year.

So the big news is about how the Red Sox haven't made the Yanks run for the hills since 1912, when they won more than 8 in a row against the Yankees (who weren't even called the Yankees back then). Let's hope that the Red Sox can continue their winning streak against the Yankees because there are multiple reasons why the would will become a better place if this happens. One: Red Sox fans will rejoice at beating down their rivals, Two: The Yankees will look ridiculous, not only for not being able to beat their rival, but for spending so much money on failure, and Three: sportswriters and sportscasters (*cough Cough* ESPN) will have to admit that the Yankees are not the best baseball team and actually do make errors, and yes, sometimes suck, at baseball.

See ya!

Jaclyn Kahn

YANKS UNSURE OF HOW TO USE THEIR WANG

That shouldn't be a surprise.

But the real story is about the pitcher, Chien-Ming Wang, and whether or not he will return to the team's rotation (get your mind out of the gutter!).

Unsure about Wang, the Yankees are even more unsure about pitcher Phil Hughes and what his future will be. "He could take a role in the bullpen or be returned to the minors to continue starting. The Yankees' pen has been shaky with a 5.37 ERA." Either way, I think the best thing the Yankees can do at this point is blow millions of dollars on a "good" pitcher, because spending money is what the Yankees do best. I mean, just take a peak at the new stadium, which is very nice, or at the players' salaries.

Oh well. Here's another story of how the Yankees just can't keep it up, excuse me, or keep up in the loooooong race in the AL East.

Jaclyn Kahn

FAN BOOTED FOR WANTING TO TINKLE SUES

Last August, Bradford Campeau-Laurion, was booted from Yankee Stadium for leaving his seat in hopes of using the bathroom during the 7th inning stretch singing of God Bless America. According to Laurion, he was met by a police officer who told him to return to his seat for the duration of the song. When he refused, he was promptly ejected from the building. I was unaware of this, but apparently, there was a policy that restricted movement in Yankee Stadium (I assume it is still in effect at the new building) during the song. Well, Laurion has taken it to the courts and is suing the New York Yankees for religious and political discrimination.

Now while I don't agree with different policies and things that have been going on in Washington this last decade (i.e. The Bush administration), I do thank God for allowing me to grow up in this country. Think of all the places we could have been born! So, I respect the gesture of rising, removing your cap, and honoring America for a couple minutes. I think on a personal level, it's probably the right thing to wait to move around till these patriotic songs are over. They are only a couple minutes long.

However, that's on a personal level, and there are no laws saying you have to acknowledge these songs. So, unless Laurion was drunk (as the Yankees claim) and cursed out the cop, I hope he wins his lawsuit against the team that thinks they are all high and mighty. I have a major problem with the Yankees taking the law into their own hands. There is no reason to eject a fan who gets up during God Bless America. It is your first amendment right to protest these songs if you'd like. I'm sure the cop was irrated by Laurion's response, but the cops are there to enforce the law, not to abuse their power on someone who doesn't have the same views.

Also, I think the Yankees are the only team that plays the song on a nightly basis, and most of the time they play a very impersonal recording from the 1930s. If you pay your hard earned money to get to a game (and it is really hard earned if you can afford Yankee games), you should be able to roam around whenever you feel. I'm surprised incidents like this haven't happened before to be honest. I'm sure 99% of people aren't even protesting the song. They just want to get up in between innings. So I ask, who do the Yankees think they are trying to keep 50,000 people locked into their seats during the song?

Pat Morgan

FOUR GENUINE REASONS WHY A-ROD TOOK STEROIDS

The folks over at landlinetv.com have come up with a hysterical article about four reasons (other than for cheating purposes) why A-Rod would have taken steroids. (For the full article, click on the link above)

Reason number one: A-Rod has Testicular Cancer (Likelihood: 30%).
I have to agree with the likelihood of this happening. I would even say it's less, more like .5% I think A-Roid would rather go out into the public and get people to feel sorry for him rather than hide it, although this is a creative excuse he could have used for his tv interview.

Reason number two: Pituitary Malfunction (Likelihood: 10%).
Again, I have to agree with the author on this one. He's not actually a five-year-old who looks like he's in his thirties. He's a 33-year-old who looks like he's in his thirties. And he's definitely not aging backwards like Brad Pitt did; then he probably should look 50, which he doesn't. I would say the likelihood is -10%.

Reason number three: Post-operative Transsexual Woman (Likelihood: 20%).
Now this one I think is going to be the most relevant. However instead of changing from a woman into a man, I think he's preparing himself to change from a man to a woman. I mean, why else would he spend so much time with Madonna if he didn't want to become like her? The likelihood would skyrocket to about 80% if a cone-shaped bra was found in his closet (I say 80% because there needs to be room for the possibility he's just a freak).

Reason number four: Male Oral Contraception (Likelihood: 40%).
This is a possibility. I mean he did want to divorce his wife that he had a kid with. Maybe he's anti kids. Maybe *gasp* he's not playing for the kids out there that think he's a baseball idol (if any kids still do) and he's just playing to earn megabucks and to give free lessons to Madonna.
As the anonymous author wrote: "Unless he uses his immense wealth to buy a time machine, I don't think Madonna is getting knocked up."

Unfortunately, at least for New York Yankee fans, A-Rod used the drugs solely for the purpose of cheating. He came out and told us all that it was because of the "pressure" to be great. I don't doubt this pressure in any way, I just think that the Commissioner of Baseball should figure out how to make steroids legal so that players can become super heroes (at least they think they are), or they need to start kicking out these steroid users and make strict rules about this. Either way, A-Roid might be looking for a new job.

Jaclyn Kahn

JOE TORRE JUST MIGHT BE MY NEW BEST FRIEND

In a new "tell-all" book, Torre dishes about how corrupt and cruel the New York Yankees team and staff really are. Not exactly, but some people are excited to see if Joe Torre's new book, The Yankee Years, will reveal some not so niceties the Yanks might have been involved in.

So far, reports are saying that "teammates" of A-Rod called him A-Fraud, and I'm not surprised. If it wasn't from jealously of not making as man millions upon millions as A-Rod is making with the Yankees, it could be from the ridiculousness of the amount of money he's getting paid, and his not so wonderful baseball skills that have been shining through. Though he seems to be doing pretty well personally, when he can hit the ball, A-Fraud can't get his team to the playoffs, or apparently anywhere near it. But it's not just A-Fraud that isn't catching a break in this book. Torre apparently is calling some of the players "prima donnas." And why shouldn't he? Some of these players are making more money than God himself and are not showing anything for it. I wouldn't be surprised about complaints from these "primadonnas" about not getting more money, or having to work too hard. Boohoo. You don't work a full calendar year but some of you make more money than high grossing Hollywood films. That's just gross to me.

Another aspect of this book involves Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman. That's not surprising either. If the players are prima donnas, then Steinbrenner is the Alpha Prima donna. So word yet about how badly Steinbrenner or Cashman are ripped apart, but that makes the anticipation for reading this book even higher.

I have to admit that I am not much of a non-fiction fan, especially sports non-fiction. But this might just be a treat for non-Yankee fans. Think this book will fly off the shelves on its release day (Feb 3rd) in Boston? I'm not so sure about that. But definitely in Los Angeles. This seems like a good book to request from the library: the wait will be long, but can score good tidbits along the way. Definitely worth skimming if A-Fraud and Steinbrenner are the antagonists.

Jaclyn Kahn

Yankees Interested in Santana

The New York Yankees and Minnesota Twins are in preliminary discussions about Johan Santana possibly headed to the Bronx. To get the two-time Cy Young winner, the Yankees will have to give up one of their big three young pitchers, centerfielder Milky Cabrera, and a prospect or two. With the uncertainity of Andy Pettitte's return this would be a big time acquisition for the Yankees, but very bad for baseball.

The owner of the Twins, Carl Pohlad, is worth almost $3 billion, which ranks him 107th on the list of richest Americans. They will also be getting nearly $400 million in city subsidies for their new stadium in Minneapolis. Remember the Yankees are paying for their stadium out of pocket. Therefore, they really have no excuse not to sign Johan Santana, who is the franchise! They already let Torii Hunter go, so that's another $12 million off the books. The Twins clearly are not the Yankees, who use hundreds as toliet paper, but they are hardly strapped for cash.

However, if they want to trade Santana now is the time. They cannot bring him back next year, and risk being in contention at the trade deadline. If they are in contention, how can they sell trading Santana to their fans. They would have to keep him, and then lose him for nothing but a draft pick when he leaves via free agency. They cannot allow that to happen as Santana is too valuable. What they should do though is try as hard as possible to re-sign him, and go into the new building (which the tax payers are paying a chunk of) with Santana as the face of the franchise. Pay up, Pohlad! You are 92 years old! Are you planning a $4 billion, 100th birthday party in Vegas?

Unfortunately, this is a problem that will continue forever in Major League Baseball. Unless they do the right thing and agree to a salary cap and floor, which the MLB Players' Union will never allow, this problem will continue growing and growing. It is too bad that another one of baseball's big free agents (or soon to be in Santana's case) is going to the Yankees. Hopefully, the Twins involve the Red Sox as best they can to jack up the price as high as possible before unloading him to New York.

Pat Morgan

A-Rod Close to a Return to the Bronx

Despite opting out of the final three years of his contract two weeks ago, it appears Alex Rodriguez will be returning to the New York Yankees after all (I don't like to take self praise that often, but props to me for calling this). It appears A-Rod will get a 10-year, $275 million contract that should be finalized before Thanksgiving next week.

Early Wednesday morning, reports were leaked that A-Rod has been discussing a new contract for the past few days. Apparently, he deeply regrets opting out before giving the Yankee brass a chance to meet with him face to face. It took numerous phone calls from third parties to get the Steinbrenners to finally take his phone calls. A-Rod has even put his agent, Scott Boras, in the backseat. He is negotiating with the Yankees by himself, which was a Yankees demand before they would return to the table.

I think this is a good move for both parties. A-Rod is the biggest superstar in the game, and there is no better stage for him to attack the all-time homerun record. With the 10-year deal, it would be enormously surprising if he does not get the championship that has eluded him so far. With the Yankees' payroll and resources, you would think they would win it at least once the next ten years. It is a good move for the Yankees, because they would have had a huge hole in their lineup had they not resigned A-Rod. They also did not have to give up one of their big three young pitchers for Miguel Cabrera. And of course, he will also sell out the ballpark for the next ten years. Yankees fans should also forgive him for opting out. He made a mistake if he truly wanted to be a Yankee, but he seemingly made things right without having them jack the price up further.

Pat Morgan

Looks Like Another Joe in the Bronx

Joe Girardi was offered the New York Yankees managerial job Monday morning and he is expected to accept the position. Girardi, who played for the Yankees from 1996-1999, takes over for future hall of famer Joe Torre, who managed the ballclub to 12 postseasons in a row. Girardi was named the NL Manager of the Year in 2006, when he led the rookie infested Florida Marlins to a 78-84 record. Replacing Torre will be no easy task, but Girardi does have managerial experience, unlike Don Mattingly.

I would have to disagree with the Yankees logic here though. Mattingly has already spent a few seasons with these players as a hitting coach and a bench coach. The players might respond better to Mattingly based on this fact. Girardi was teammates with some of the present Yankees, including Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. This makes me wonder whether Girardi will be able to manage this team as well as he did when he was in Florida.

With A-rod opting out and Posada and Rivera still unsigned, next year might not be much fun in the Bronx or for Girardi. I think it might be a lose-lose situation for the new skpper. On one hand, it would be best for the team to have Posada and Rivera come back. On the other hand, if they do return to the Yankees, I can't see these two veterans listening more intently to Girardi than Mattingly or Torre. Mattingly is one of the most popular living Yankees and it would be better for the organization as a whole to have him as the next manager, but the Steinbrenner boys had a different idea.

We will see how it turns out for the Bronx Bombers, who had to sit at home Sunday night and watch the Red Sox capture their second championship in four years.

Shawn Marosek

Arod Opts Out; Is He Done in New York?

Incase you were in a cave last night, Alex Rodriguez made his long awaited opt out decision, and thus upstaged Boston's second World Series in four years. To nobody's surprise, Arod has decided to opt out, and try and get every cent he can on the open market. With Scott Boras as his agent, look for him to demand 10-years, $300+ million, and perhaps a share of team ownership after he retires. Way to go Arod! You couldn't wait 24 to 48 hours to announce your plan. You had to do it during the World Series. Could you be anymore of a narcissist?

The New York Yankees have stated that they will not pursue Arod should he opt out. Now that he has, it will be interesting to see if the Yankees stay to their word and let him leave the Bronx. I think they will stay out of things until the final days before a contract is signed. You know that Boras will take the offer Arod likes best with whatever team, and pass it through the Yankees' brass for them to have the final chance to re-sign Arod. Who will they get to replace his 54 homeruns, 156 RBI, and 143 runs scored? They will not let the $21 million they would have gotten from Texas to be the determining factor on whether or not they keep Arod. Unless they have a trade in place to get Miguel Cabrera, Aramis Ramirez, or someone else, I cannot imagine they would not reconsider.

If not New York, where? There will only be a few teams that can take on a massive contact Arod will require. The Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim, next to Disney World, around the corner from a Mobil in California) would be the top candidate in my opinion. They have money they have been trying to spend on big free agent to back Vladimir Guerrero in the lineup for quite sometime. Arod would give them the bat they need to fix that big offensive hole on their team. Since their 2002 championship, which was a different type team, the Angels have not hit a lick in their three postseason appearances since.

The Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants would be the 2nd and 3rd candidates. The Cubs are desperate for a title, and especially more so that the Red Sox and White Sox have broken long droughts recently. Don't be surprised if the Cubs make a big offer, and trade Aramis Ramirez (Yankees?) if they take on an Arod contract. The Giants will be free of a large Barry Bonds contract for the first time in 15 years, and could be suitors for Arod. I think they would love to have a new center piece for the franchise. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets could be far out candidates since they are the two other teams in MLB with the cash to make things happen.

Finally, what about the Boston Red Sox? A lot of people feel they will make a push for the player they failed to obtain four years ago. If they want to pursue him, they definitely could afford a massive contract. If I were them, I would not go after Rodriguez. They have two championships since the trade to get Arod fell through, and the Yankees have none. They should re-sign Mike Lowell at three, four years if that is what he wants, and use the extra cash to go and get a #2 starter to replace Curt Schilling. I think it would be a mistake for the Red Sox to sign Arod.

When it is all set and done though, I still think Alex Rodriguez will re-sign with the Yankees. They say they won't, and maybe they will be true to their word. Remember it is Hank and Hal Steinbrenner running the show now, and perhaps they will watch every penny a lot more closely than Big Stein did. However, Arod is very valuable to the YES Network, and the future of the Yankees. They will be fine selling tickets the next two seasons (The last at old Yankees Stadium, and the first at new Yankees Stadium), but after that? With Arod, the team has drawn four million every year he has been on the team. And obviously, you cannot ignore the all-time numbers he put up last season. I would be shocked if they let him go.

Pat Morgan

Yankees Wait On Replacing The Irreplacable

After reports that the New York Yankees front office would make a decision as to who will manage the team in 2008 today, it turns out everyone will have to wait.

The organization has put off finalizing the managerial spot until the conclusion of the World Series, which could be over by Sunday night based on Boston's two convincing victories over the Rockies.

As of now, three people are in the running for manager: Yankees bench coach Don Mattingly, 2006 N.L. Manager of the Year and former Yankee catcher Joe Girardi, and Yankee first base coach and 2003 A.L. Manager of the Year Tony Pena. It's not bad having two former Mangers of the Year as candidates, but the fact of the matter is that the Yankees shouldn't even be making this decision.

By making an offer they knew he'd refuse, the Yankees essentially cut loose one of the greatest Yankees managers of all time in Joe Torre. His success runs parallel to managerial greats like Casey Stengel and Joe McCarthy, and for the Yankees to give him the boot may very well have triggered the end of their current success.

No other manager in the Steinbrenner era has kept the team in such a consistent state, keeping problems in the clubhouse and out of the papers. There's no doubt this ability was a big factor in the Yankees' 12 consecutive postseason appearances under Torre, and I believe whoever is running the show now took that for granted when they made their 'offer' to him.

The decision could also significantly affect the composition of the team next year, as catcher Jorge Posada and closer Mariano Rivera, both free agents, were extremely close to Torre. With Torre gone, it is entirely possible for both Posada and Rivera to part ways with the organization they've called home for their entire careers. Left-handed pitcher Andy Pettitte, who already left the team once for Houston, has a player option for 2008, and could very well leave for a second time with Joe no longer at the helm.

If everything goes wrong, the Yankees' may end up looking for more than just a manager this offseason. The fact of the matter is that Torre held this team together for 12 seasons, and while many players came and went, the Yankees could always count on their home-grown boys: Posada, Rivera and Derek Jeter. On Opening Day 2008, Jeter might be the only one remaining.

Some might say the Yankees Dynasty was at the beginning of the end when Luis Gonzalez hit a broken-bat single over Jeter's head to win the 2001 World Series. It took six years, but I think it's safe to say it's foundation has been eradicated.

Steve Duby