Biggest Series of the Season
Simply put this is the biggest series of the Major League Baseball season. Both in game size and impact and media coverage, everything. First off its the biggest and best rivalry in sports, secondly both teams are fighting for perhaps only one playoff spot. Don't think its the biggest series, well how about the fact that 4, yes 4, of the 5 games are on national television. This afternoon, Sunday night and monday on ESPN and tomorrow afternoon on FOX.
Bereavment List
The Yanks pulled a fast one by using Major League Baseball rules. The Yankees placed Lidle on the bereavment list, due to the death of his grandmother. Lidle's grandmother died a week ago and he is not even going to miss a start. This move allows the Yankees to bring up a much needed extra pitcher for the first four games of the series.
AROD
I'm sorry but I really think any big success Arod has in the regular season will only give him a temporary reprieve from Yankee fans. Even if he hits 4 HRs bats .380 and knocks in 10 this weekend, I still see a few weeks from now when he comes back from sucking it up on a west coast trip getting booed. Simply put until he wins a title he's going to be hot and cold, mostly cold, with the fans. That being said if he is terrible this series, he is going to get brutally booed when he returns to the stadium. I think it would be ironic if the Red Sox fans had Arod chants after he struck out.
Keys to the Series
1. Starting Pitching - Lets face it the starters for both of these teams are completely unreliable. Ponson & Johnson got cut by mediocre teams and are terrible. Lidle was a throw in in the Abreu deal. Lester never makes it past 5 innings it seems. Boomer is an old old man. Randy is an old old man. Beckett has an ERA over 5. Wang has been miserable his last two starts. The only people you expect to pitch well are Muss and Schilling but really they have had their own piss poor performances this season.
2. Bullpen - I think the Yanks have a more reliable bullpen. First Farnsworth is good on rest. He didn't pitch yesterday so he'lll be good today. Proctor has been great, although Manny did castrate him earlier this season. The Red Sox really have no reliable setup guy. And even Papelbon has been a little shaky this season. And anyone who says that Mariano has struggled against the Red Sox more than any other team isn't that off base. However, the guy on the Red Sox that absolutely positively killed Mariano was Bill Muehler. That guy killed Mo.
3. Double Header - If either team gets swept in doubleheader, which I don't expect, than they are completely behind the 8 ball. A Yankee sweep puts them up 3 1/2 games a Red Sox sweep puts them back in first and would make for an overly pressurized saturday, sunday, monday.
Predictions
I say they split today then the Yanks take Saturday and Monday for a 3 to 2 series victory. I really would be surprised to see any team take 4 games, it just never seems to work out that way, and both of these teams are too flawed pitching wise to dominate the series. Went out on a limb on that one didn't I? Ouch I don't think the kid liked my prediction.
Simply put this is the biggest series of the Major League Baseball season. Both in game size and impact and media coverage, everything. First off its the biggest and best rivalry in sports, secondly both teams are fighting for perhaps only one playoff spot. Don't think its the biggest series, well how about the fact that 4, yes 4, of the 5 games are on national television. This afternoon, Sunday night and monday on ESPN and tomorrow afternoon on FOX.Bereavment List
The Yanks pulled a fast one by using Major League Baseball rules. The Yankees placed Lidle on the bereavment list, due to the death of his grandmother. Lidle's grandmother died a week ago and he is not even going to miss a start. This move allows the Yankees to bring up a much needed extra pitcher for the first four games of the series.
AROD
I'm sorry but I really think any big success Arod has in the regular season will only give him a temporary reprieve from Yankee fans. Even if he hits 4 HRs bats .380 and knocks in 10 this weekend, I still see a few weeks from now when he comes back from sucking it up on a west coast trip getting booed. Simply put until he wins a title he's going to be hot and cold, mostly cold, with the fans. That being said if he is terrible this series, he is going to get brutally booed when he returns to the stadium. I think it would be ironic if the Red Sox fans had Arod chants after he struck out.
Keys to the Series
1. Starting Pitching - Lets face it the starters for both of these teams are completely unreliable. Ponson & Johnson got cut by mediocre teams and are terrible. Lidle was a throw in in the Abreu deal. Lester never makes it past 5 innings it seems. Boomer is an old old man. Randy is an old old man. Beckett has an ERA over 5. Wang has been miserable his last two starts. The only people you expect to pitch well are Muss and Schilling but really they have had their own piss poor performances this season.
2. Bullpen - I think the Yanks have a more reliable bullpen. First Farnsworth is good on rest. He didn't pitch yesterday so he'lll be good today. Proctor has been great, although Manny did castrate him earlier this season. The Red Sox really have no reliable setup guy. And even Papelbon has been a little shaky this season. And anyone who says that Mariano has struggled against the Red Sox more than any other team isn't that off base. However, the guy on the Red Sox that absolutely positively killed Mariano was Bill Muehler. That guy killed Mo.
3. Double Header - If either team gets swept in doubleheader, which I don't expect, than they are completely behind the 8 ball. A Yankee sweep puts them up 3 1/2 games a Red Sox sweep puts them back in first and would make for an overly pressurized saturday, sunday, monday.
Predictions
I say they split today then the Yanks take Saturday and Monday for a 3 to 2 series victory. I really would be surprised to see any team take 4 games, it just never seems to work out that way, and both of these teams are too flawed pitching wise to dominate the series. Went out on a limb on that one didn't I? Ouch I don't think the kid liked my prediction.
Comments