After what must have felt like an eternity, it finally happened.

After years and years of disappointment and despair, happiness and joy finally reigned down on a forlorn franchise and its fans.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, after nearly a full decade without a World Series championship, New York Yankees fans finally awoke from their unbearable nightmare to fulfill their dreams of World Series euphoria.

I mean, look at the picture of this little boy. He is perhaps seven or eight or nine years old. Do you realize that until last night, this deprived young soul had never experienced a World Series championship?

His parents, his grandparents, his cousins, and any friends born in 2000 or before all had known a world in which the New York Yankees had been champions. This little boy, however, was forced to trudge through the first decade of his life in a purgatory usually reserved only for natives of Cleveland or the North Side of Chicago.

But now the world is right and this little Yankees fan, along with Yankees fans across the country, finally have a temporary reprieve from their suffering.

One fan base that certainly is happy for the Yankees are fans of the Chicago Cubs. In fact, in the aftermath of last night’s 7-3 Game Six victory over the Phillies, I spoke with 100-year old Cubs fan Wrigman Bartley to get his perspective on the Yankees winning again.

“Go f&$k yourself with your stupid questions, you dirty piece of White Sox scum,” he politely responded when I asked him what was going through his mind watching Derek Jeter celebrate his 5th World Series crown. “Those jerks in New York have now won 27 World Series titles and I’ve lived for a cotton-picking century and not experienced one.

“Even you and your pathetic White Sox got one in 2005. It’s unfair, it’s unjust, and it make me want to puke.”

He then immediately fell asleep as it was well past his bed time.

As my dad (a lifetime Yankees fan) texted me last night, “Everything is back to normal. The Yankees are World Series Champs.”

I suppose he is right.

It’s simply a fact of life that men like Wrigman Bartley cannot tell even their great-great-grandkids about the time they saw the Cubs win the World Series. But damnit, if a 9-year old Yankees fan has to suffer the injustice of entering 3rd grade or 4th grade without a World Series, the earth may as well just stop spinning on its axis.

Yes, all is truly now right with the world.

The Yankees are back on top, and it hasn’t even taken 24 hours for the rest of the nation to be sick of it.

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* – Yankees kid photo credit: KenjiBaseball via Flickr

* – Cubs fan photo credit: Katrina Wittkamp/Aurora Select via AARP.org

[Note: For clarity's sake, the Cubs fan pictured above is named Richard Savage, and you can read about him in this AARP profile. There is no "Wrigman Bartley"...I made him up simply for the sake of taking a gratuitous dig at Cubs fans, which any longtime reader of MSF knows is my favorite pastime.  The picture fit perfectly. Just didn't want anyone to be confused or for there to be stories in 48 hours with Richard Savage calling me an idiot blogger living in my mother's basement. Not that such a thing has ever happened before, but you get my drift.]

I need not recap the past five games too much, since TV ratings, as expected, have been extraordinary.

I think any baseball fan (not of the Yankees, I suppose) is happy we’ll see a World Series Game Six for the first time since 2003, due primarily to AJ Burnett’s ineffectiveness on three days rest, and of course, the magical bat of one Chase Utley.

I picked the Phillies in five, especially after they split in New York, and was wrong.

I find it amazing that, especially coming into the late innings of Game Four, three of the Yanks best players — Teixeira, Cano, Rodriguez — were all hitting under .100 in the series, and yet the Yanks were on their way to a 3-1 lead.

I guess that means New York has outpitched Philly, recorded the outs when needed, caught the balls when necessary, had the key choppers and flares find holes or drop (especially Damon, Posada and Jeter, sans Monday night in the 9th), and that Ryan Howard, MVP of the NLCS, has done nothing offensively — other than tie the World Series record for strikeouts in just five games.

Considering this background, I think Philadelphia will lose the series, because:

1. Their bullpen simply won’t be able to hold late leads on the road. They were awful much of the season, decent in the first two rounds, but reverted backwards in Games Four and Five. If Madson, Lidge and others struggled in front of a supportive crowd, how will they fare in a hostile Bronx versus a delirious crowd hungering for their first world title in a decade? Not well, my friends.

2. Charlie Manuel, who, in 48 hours has gone from genius to moron, then back to genius, won’t bruise Ryan Howard’s ego and rightly hit him 5th or 6th Wednesday night. The big first baseman clearly won’t touch Andy Pettitte or C.C. Sabathia; meanwhile, Jayson Werth hit two homeruns off Pettitte in Game Three, and therefore should hit 4th. Otherwise, Howard will be a liability and extend his record for Ks in a world series/postseason. He has 21 punchouts in 45 lifetime World Series at bats. That’s really, really bad.

Throwing Pedro Martinez in Game Six, considering his mostly-solid work in Game Two, is a no-brainer, as is throwing Andy Pettitte, who won Game Six for New York vs. Anaheim.

But what about Game Seven?

The Yanks will turn to Sabathia, which is hard to argue, but for Philly? Cole Hamels is an emotional wreck, and J.A. Happ has 28 career big league starts.

As for the Yankee bullpen, Damaso Marte will be used as much as possible, plus Mariano Rivera, who, overall, has been his usual self. The rest of the Yankee pen has been underwhelming.

Yanks in…seven.

I think Pettitte loses Game Six, or does not get a decision. Two of his four starts this postseason has been substandard, and three days rest will be difficult for the 37 year old Louisianan. But Sabathia gives New York enough on Thursday night — especially with the impending indecision on Philly’s starter – to give the Yankees their 27th world championship.

Johnny Damon — six hits in the last two games — will keep chugging along, and is named MVP. (Though, naturally, this morning on ESPN radio, Buster Olney and Mike Greenberg mused that if Chase Utley homers tonight — thereby breaking Reggie Jackson’s record for dingers in a Fall Classic — he should get strong consideration for MVP, especially if no one on the Yanks has a big night, and Rivera gets an easy save in a 6-2 or 5-1 victory. I disagree for reasons I need not enumerate.)

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* – Charlie Manuel photo credit: Chris Gardner/Getty Images via About.com

The 2009 World Series embodies everything that a Midwest baseball fan hates.

1) No representation from either of the Central Divisions. That’s right, no White Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, Tigers, Twins, Brewers, Astros, Indians, etc. In fact, none of these teams even really came close.

2) Two straight weeks of complete immersion in the East Coast bias/obsession that can become so annoying and grating during the regular season.

3) A battle of two teams with enormous payrolls who, on a yearly basis, pluck the best players off of teams in smaller markets who cannot afford them. (And yes, I know the Cubs, and to a certain extent the White Sox, have a high payroll…but Chicago gets Milton Bradley and Alex Rios, New York and Philly get C.C. and Cliff Lee.)

With all of that being said, I’ve decided that we have done enough actual analysis of this year’s World Series. AJ wrote a great preview piece earlier this week, and that will have to suffice.

In place of the article that I was going to write about the 2009 World Series (currently tied at 1-1 if you live in The Shire and don’t get Fox or have an Internet connection) before I thought more about it and just got pissed off, I decided that we could all benefit from a couple of gratuitous photo galleries of two of the most attractive WAGs on either team.

So while there are many legit questions out there as the series heads to Philly (What’s up with ARod and Ryan Howard? Does either manager have faith in its bullpen?), we are going to tackle one that is perhaps a little less exigent as part of our usual Friday Morning Would series.

Would you rather have your favorite baseball hero date Minka Kelly or Kate Hudson?

First, the tale of the tape:

Minka Kelly v Kate Hudson

Now some visual evidence of the two.

Note: click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pictures, then click the enlarged lightbox image to return it to thumbnail size.

Minka Kelly Pictures and Video

[View with PicLens]

Fast forward to the 2:40 mark of this one, from Friday Night Lights.

Kate Hudson Pictures and Video

[View with PicLens]

Okay, so now let’s break the debate down with some analysis of their respective positives and negatives.

Minka Kelly Positives:

• She seems very quiet and down-to-earth, not someone who will draw unnecessary attention to herself.
• She’s on a sports show about Texas high school football, so she clearly understands the old phrase “sports are not a matter of life or death…they’re much more important.”
• She’s a brunette, and I’ve always been partial to brunettes.

Kate Hudson Positives:

• She grew up in a world of fame and notoriety, so the spotlight will not faze her.
• She is both worldly and still relatively young
• She has a very solid, established career and makes good money herself; hence, she doesn’t need to date a famous baseball player

And now the negatives…

Wait, am I crazy? There aren’t any negatives for either one of these lovely ladies and they both clearly have been boons for their respective boyfriends’ performances this season.

Derek Jeter hit .334 during the regular season, which is .017 points higher than his already high career batting average. He also hit more home runs (18) than he’s hit since 2005 and stole more bases (30) than he has since 2006. And, as expected, so far so good in the playoffs as well. Jeter is 15-45 (.333) and has three HRs, five RBIs, and has scored ten runs.

Alex Rodriguez also had a solid season and then exploded during the first two playoff series, which many people actually attributed to the presence of Kate Hudson in his life. Something about how it made him relax more, or this, that, or the other.

Regardless, after hitting .286 with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs during the regular season — pretty pedestrian numbers by ARod’s lofty standards — he went 14-32 in the ALDS and ALCS with five HRs and 12 RBI, many of which were of the clutch variety. He has, however, struggled so far in the World Series (0-8 with 6 Ks).

So Minka Kelly clearly helped to engineer a regular season resurgence for The Captain, while Kate Hudson helped turn Alex Rodriguez into a playoff masher…at least until the World Series started.

The question though, is would you rather have your team’s star player dating? Is it as simple as the age-old blonde v brunette debate? Are there legitimate baseball reasons to choose one or the other? Do you not care and just feel grateful that I put together the two stunning photo galleries above?

Chime in below with your answer…and then, like me, go back to lamenting the absence of a non-East Coast team in the World Series while simultaneously preparing yourself to deal with it anyway.

Earlier this afternoon Myles and I had the great pleasure to host SI.com’s Jimmy Traina on the latest edition of the MSF Podcast.

We are grateful that he was able to take 30+ minutes out of his afternoon to talk with us, and impressed that he was able to be so composed…what with his beloved Yankees (especially Derek and Minka) preparing for Game 1 of the 2009 World Series tonight.

But I guess when you’ve already won 27 of them and can buy your way into the playoffs every year, it’s easy to stay even keel. (Actually, more on this topic later.)

If you are not familiar with his work, Jimmy Traina runs the Hot Clicks blog on SI.com and is an editor of the always entertaining Extra Mustard section of the site, which fuses sports, pop culture, and humor. Hot Clicks is one of the most visited sports pages on a daily basis, as any publisher knows who has ever received a link from Traina.

Let’s just say it can put a strain on your server.

Use the in-page player below to listen to the podcast, or feel free to download this and all MSF podcasts for free on iTunes.

Tonight’s game — between ex-Indians CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee — provided an excellent introductory topic, as Traina offered his advice to Indians fans (watch anything else) and went against the grain from what you might assume he’d say concerning payroll discrepancies in baseball.

We also discussed the pressure of always being expected to win, whether he thinks A-Rod can ever become a “true Yankee,” what it was like to meet his hero Derek Jeter, and his thoughts on Mark Sanchez and Hotdoggate.

From there, a very informative discussion ensued regarding his role and daily duties at SI.com, how he acquired what most guys would consider to be a dream job, and how his view of the media has changed over the years — including how being on TV or in a newspaper does not necessarily mean that you know more than the average sports fan. (And yes we’re talking about you Jay Mariotti and Chip Caray.)

Finally, we rolled out a new section of the podcast that is currently going by the ultra-creative name of Five Questions. We won’t give away of the answers — you’ll have to listen to the podcast — but here are the questions so you’ll know what to look forward to:

1. In honor of Aslyum.com’s Movember promotion to raise cancer awareness, what are your top 3 non-Mattingly mustaches?
2. Who is your favorite SI swimsuit model of all-time? (Hint: she’s pictured to the right)
3. If you were told that tomorrow was going to be your final Hot Clicks, which lovely lady would get the featured spot at the top of your last hurrah post?
4. What is the best Halloween costume you’ve seen? (This answer definitely surprised (and somewhat disturbed) me.
5. Choose one of the following options: film a documentary in which you go trick or treating this weekend with either one of the Road Warriors, in full costume…or…be the fifth wheel for a double date with Derek Jeter, Minka Kelly, A-Rod and Kate Hudson.

Once again, we thank Jimmy for his time and think you’ll enjoy this latest MSF podcast offering. It is both entertaining and informative, especially if you’ve ever entertained a career in sports media or had a massive man crush on Derek Jeter.

And if you want some solid Yankees commentary during the games this week and next, follow Jimmy on Twitter, @jimmytraina, and definitely make Hot Clicks a daily stop.

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* – Jimmy Traina photo credit: SI.com

* – Derek Jeter / Minka Kelly photo credit: Brian Bahr/Getty Images via SI.com

* – Mallory Snyder photo credit: MM Agency

There will not be a freeway series this year in baseball, nor will there be a cross-country coastal series. There will be an “Amtrak” Series, however.

And hopefully the Phils and Yanks will travel like The Babe did in the old days when they commute back and forth over the next week or so in the Fall Classic.

By virtue of a clutch game 4 win that gave them series control and an eventual second consecutive NL pennant, the Philadelphia Phillies will take on the New York Yankees, fresh off another close victory and series win over the gutsy Anaheim Angels.

Before we get into previewing the 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, here is a quick look at the TV schedule and probable pitching matchups (which we will update as more information becomes available).

Yankees-Phillies 2009 World Series TV Schedule and Probable Pitching Matchups

While the Phils waited nearly 100 hours to see who they’d face from the AL, New York was busy capitalizing on Angel miscues again (while leaving busloads of runners on base) to take the AL pennant early Monday morning before a hungry crowd at the new Yankee Stadium.

Do we have the two best teams in baseball playing for the world title for perhaps the first time since 2004? Some would argue yes; I might argue no (Chicago and Houston were darn good in 2005, but since they did not play on the east coast, the media would not admit it; the Rays and Phils were arguably the two best in 2008, but Tampa is not Boston nor New York).

In any event, Clifton Phifer Lee and ALCS MVP Carsten Charles Sabathia take the hill Wednesday night to kick of the 124th World Series.

(It’s very sad for an Indian fan such as myself to see the two starting pitchers in the World Series opener be ex-Cleveland hurlers… and the past two Cy Young winners! Even Yahoo Sports, in one of their previews, noted this is “a match up that only a Clevelander could hate.” They then went further with that analysis. Indeed, my wife and I saw Lee and Sabathia pitch in person FOR the Indians back-to-back nights just 16 months ago in Cleveland.)

Reading the New York papers the past two mornings, you’d think the Phillies should not even show up. Long-time NY sportswriter and all around know-it-all, Mike Lupica, has pretty much guaranteed a Yankee victory parade, while all is forgiven of Alex Rodriguez, who plays in his first Fall Classic. Monday’s huge New York Daily News headline deliriously blasted “World is right again” — with the Yanks back as AL Champs.

Aside from the ignorant hyperbole, not all baseball fans are thrilled (in fact, probably the majority) the Yankees will play in the Series. And it’s not their players or even their payroll, but often the unchecked egos of their fans and media, most of whom I know didn’t watch the playoffs the past eight seasons once the Pinstripers were eliminated.

“I am a Yankee fan, not a baseball fan,” one New York friend emailed me last night. Another temporarily blocked my emails when I questioned Joe Girardi’s moves in Game 3. Even the venerable “Paper of Record,” rarely known for their detailed sports takes, has deemed the past few Yankee-less World Series as “clunkers.”

The great fans of Boston, Chicago, Saint Louis, Detroit and Philadelphia might disagree.

Philly fans, who can be abrasive, are now suddenly the underdog for the first time in awhile, despite being the experienced, defending champs. They’re “excited” about this opportunity. But since they were champs last year, shouldn’t the Yankees be “excited” too, or even more ecstatic, since so many of them have never played on the grandest stage? No, they’re the Yankees; they “belong” here. They’re now the sentimental favorite, apparently. A New York-centric view of the world indeed.

One Phillie fan I know, wrote me s such:

“For a team that hasn’t won a World Series in the last nine seasons, they are awfully entitled, thanks to ESPN, SI, etc., constantly declaring them as champions at the start of every year.”

But I truly digress…and apologize.

The Yanks were, in many ways, given games 1, 2 and 6 at home versus the Angels. Their only clutch hit with men on base during Sunday’s clincher was Johnny Damon’s 4th inning single, while overall, aside from the 7th inning of game 5 and throughout game 4’s drubbing, the Yanks relied on homeruns for their offense, mostly solo shots.

Again, give them credit for pouncing on their opponents’ mistakes, but it was sad for any baseball fan to see the Angels implode, considering Anaheim had the best defensive season in franchise history during 2009. The Phils are good defensively too, and will want to avoid those shortcomings, hoping, among much else, that Chase Utley ceases turning the double play like Chuck Knoblauch or Steve Sax.

Old adages and history often tell us that good pitching beats good hitting. And though these teams have no doubt pitched well, they also have the best hitting lineups in baseball, so as usual, the clichés may work oppositely.

Philadelphia has a deeper starting rotation, but is it actually better than New York’s top three?

The Phils, overall, have better position players than the Yanks, especially in the outfield; they have an AL-style lineup, while New York, despite immense power and payroll, played small-ball to beat the Angels in at least two ALCS games. This World Series will probably come down pitching, especially with men on base — like most playoff short series do — but a few key decisions must be made:

• Does New York plan to use Sabathia on three days rest twice (if necessary)? Or will Chad Gaudin, who’s thrown one meaningless inning this postseason, pitch in game 4?
• Is Charlie Manuel right to throw Pedro Martinez in game 2? And is he doing this more to shelter 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels from the Bronx crowd?  Or because he has a hunch about this being a “special” October for Martinez, who knows New York’s hostile atmosphere very well? If the former, how confident can “Jolly Cholly” be if Hamels has to start a game 6 or 7 in NY? Hamels is a key — perhaps THE key — to the outcome of this series. Period.
• Despite Jorge Posada’s one RBI in the ALCS and ten LOB in game 6, is Joe Girardi still going to have Jose Molina catch instead of Posada, and thus have two near-automatic outs in the lineup?
• Is Philly considering Cliff Lee on three days rest for game 4, or do they have confidence in Joe Blanton/J.A. Happ?
• Will it greatly hurt the Yankee offense when they sit Hideki Matsui in Philadelphia? And assuming the Phils DH Raul Ibanez in New York, how much of a lift will putting Ben Francisco and/or Greg Dobbs in the lineup give the NL champs?
• With respect to bullpens, while Philly’s was better than expected in the NLCS, sans Game 2, the Yankees, especially Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain ,were still subpar. Of course, Mariano Rivera was solid, if not spectacular, sans the 8th inning Game 6. Brad Lidge was Rivera in 2008, but this is 2009.

The storylines are splendid, and the two skippers as different as night and day. In the end, will the Yanks hang banner number 27, or will Philly become the first NL squad to win consecutive titles in 33 years?

To me, the first two games should answer those ultimate questions. Therefore my prediction is that if New York takes a 2-0 lead, it’s over. But if Philly can steal one in The Bronx — i.e. if AJ Burnett comes out flat — I’ll take the Phils, perhaps in as few as five games. At least this series will draw huge TV ratings. They’ve already been through the roof this postseason, in spite of all the unnecessary days off between and during series.

Last thought: where would the Yankees be without the capital to acquire Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Burnett, three of the five main keys to their success in 2009, and two-thirds of their starting pitching rotation? The third being Andy Pettitte, who, without steroids, would have retired by now.

By the same token, where would the Phillies be without Cliff Lee and Raul Ibanez? Even I, regularly reticent to utilize such banalities, cannot ignore the “rich getting richer.”

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* – C.C. Sabathia photo credit: AP via Newsday

* – Cliff Lee photo credit: The Zo Zone

(Stay up to date with latest news on the World Series schedule at http://www.worldseries.com.)

Game 5 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies was suspended due to rain in Philadelphia before the bottom half of the 6th inning began.

The game is currently scheduled to resume Tuesday night at 8:00 and according to Commissioner Bud Selig will not be moved to Tampa Bay under any circumstances. Furthermore, regardless of what day the game is ultimately played, it will begin at 8:00 ET.

Tomorrow’s scheduled start time is obviously contingent on the weather. Click here to stay up to date on the latest Philadelphia area weather forecast. As of right now, according to the hour-by-hour forecast, it looks like rain is expected for tomorrow night as well. The 10-day forecast shows sunshine on Thursday.

As for the game, Carlos Pena came up with an RBI in the top of the 6th inning that pretty much bailed Major League Baseball out of a pretty embarrassing situation. Had BJ Upton not beaten out an infield single with 2 out and nobody, and had Pena not subsequently driven in the typing run, the Major League Baseball rulebook would not have allowed for the game to be suspended. The end result would have been a Philadelphia victory, and World Series championship, in the first rain-shortened game in Major League history.

Interestingly, the MLB rulebook was changed in 2007 to allow for suspended tie games in the World Series. Prior to 2007, the game would have been declared a tie and started over from the first inning. Jayson Stark and his crooked mustache do a great job of breaking the whole situation down in his Playoffs Blog on ESPN.com.

Another interesting note from the Stark blog: the Rays already checked out of their hotel rooms, thinking that they would be flying back to Tampa after the game. Apparently they were still scrambling for hotel rooms as of about 11:00pm because their original hotel rooms were booked.

What a wacky night in Philly. But thank goodness for Carlos Pena, because it would have been a real shame had the World Series ended with the score 2-1 because of the rain. Looks like the exorcism of the “devil” from the Rays’ name has paid dividends once again. Major League Baseball should definitely look into changing that rule. The mere chance that such a result could conceivably occur needs to be eliminated from the realm of possibility.

[tags]mlb, world series, game 5 suspended, tampa bay rays, philadelphia phillies[/tags]

Last night, after an hour and a half rain delay, the Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of the Tampa Bay Rays’ late-inning pitching mistakes to claim victory in Game 3 that ended at 1:47 am. The Phillies took a 2-1 advantage in the World Series. According to the SI.com account of the game, the Rays were also treated to the typically brotherly warm chilly reception given to visitors from the notorious Philadelphia fans.

Game 4 is scheduled for tonight, and the NFL does not have a Sunday Night Football game scheduled to accommodate the World Series. According to Weather.com, the projected forecast around Citizens Bank Park is clear for the entire evening. So the game should start on time, giving more people a chance to watch the finish, which many fans (including me), were not able to stay up and do last night.

The pitching matchup for tonight’s World Series Game 4, scheduled to begin at 8:00 on Fox, is as follows:

Tampa Bay Rays: Andy Sonnanstine (13-9), 4.38 ERA during the regular season

Andy Sonnanstine has only faced one batter currently on the Philadelphia Phillies roster: Matt Stairs; and Stairs did have good success in his 12 ABs versus Sonnanstine, going 4-12 with a HR.

Philadelphia Phillies: Joe Blanton (9-12), 4.69 ERA during the regular season

Joe Blanton has had pitched against all of the Rays primary hitters, as he only came over from Oakland this season. Carl Crawford is 7-22 lifetime against Blanton, while Carlos Pena is 4-7 with two bases on balls. This season, Blanton started once against the Rays and went 6 innings while given up four earned runs. He did pitched well at Citizens Bank Park after joining the Phillies, going 2-0 with a 3.55 ERA in 38 innings and 7 starts. In the three seasons prior to 2008, the Rays hit .315 off of Joe Blanton as a team.

It is hard to pick against the Philadelphia Phillies at home, even though I’d like to see the Rays even up the series; but I don’t see it happening. The Phillies’ offense appears to be waking up, and the Rays might have been a little unnerved by the nastiness at Citizens Bank Park last night. Joe Blanton has pitched well at home during his time as a Philly, and this will be the most difficult start of Andy Sonnanstine’s young career — and it comes in a pretty difficult venue to play in as a visitor. The Rays have had success against Joe Blanton, so I think both offenses will have success. But the Rays’ bullpen proved to be leaky last night, while the Phillies have Brad Lidge at the end of the game ready to shut it down.

My prediction: Philadelphia Phillies 8 | Tampa Bay Rays 6

Check out our World Series Preview for the rest of the World Series schedule, as well as the projected pitching matchups.

[tags]world series, tampa bay rays, philadelphia phillies, mlb[/tags]

Seriously, that is my only question: why? The Backstreet Boys. Really?

If you don’t what I am talking about, the Backstreet Boys sang the National Anthem last night for Game 1 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. Yes, those Backstreet Boys — Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, and Joe Buck.

Here, just hit play and watch the annoying video below:

Game 1 was a very good game. Cole Hamels was masterful, and is quickly earning a reputation as a Josh Beckett-style big game pitcher. And a record was set last night: the Phillies went an ARod-like 0-13 with runners in scoring position, yet still won the game. That is the most hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position for a team that won a World Series game. For the Rays, they had plenty of opportunities as well, but playoff hero BJ Upton grounded into consecutive rally-killing double plays. All in all, it was a great Game and portends good things for the future of this series. I see a Game 7, minimum of 6.

But getting back to the Buckstreet Boys (that was not a typo); I only decided to post about this because I was the morning radio show I was listening to it had some excellent commentary regarding the National Anthem. Too often, as was the case with the Backstreet Boys last night, artists use the National Anthem as a personal showcase to promote their own interests and careers. However, in doing so they miss the post: the singing of the National Anthem is to honor America, not your new album or vocal range.

There is no problem with an inspired rendition. Easily the greatest National Anthem I have ever heard is the famous pre-crack Whitney Houston version from the Super Bowl during Desert Storm. The video is below:

Seriously, if you don’t get goosebumps listening to her sing I have to question whether you are actually have blood pumping through your veins. It was some 17 years ago in 1991, I was around 10 at the time, and I can still remember it vividly without watching the video. That is what a National Anthem is supposed to be. Heartfelt, passionate, and inspired — where the artist’s talents complement the song, not the other way around.

With the Backstreet Turds you got the sense that every single note was strategically choreographed and they sounded almost mechanical to me. Plus, they changed the key in so many places. Umm…you’re the frieking backstreet boys. You made your names singing bubblegum pop and doing lame dance moves for teenage girls. What exactly gives you the impression that we want your interpretation of one of the most perfectly constructed songs ever written? Besides, if anyone is going to switch it up and put their own spin on it, leave it to a master. Like Marvin Gaye:

Maybe I’m being too harsh on the Backstreet Boys, I don’t know. But listening to them sing last night was like nails on a chalkboard. I just miss the “old days” when legitimate singers like Whitney Houston actually paid tribute to America with their versions, and literally inspired people. Do you remember how many people actually purchased the single of the Whitney Houston National Anthem? Her talent had a lot to do with it — she could sing the phone book and capture an audience — but I think more importantly it was the passion that was palpable as she sang.

I just didn’t get that feeling last night, or anything close to it. Maybe it’s because I think the Backstreet Boys suck, and maybe I was just personally biased against their version from the start. But it’s a trend I’m noticing: pop stars using the stage of the National Anthem to promote themselves, and not the glorious history of freedom and liberty that defines America.

Or maybe, as I near 30, I’m just getting old-fashioned. But for the National Anthem, and especially on the grandest of stages like the World Series, give me Whitney Houston or Marvin Gaye any time. Leave the Backstreet Boys for TRL and the minor leagues.

[tags]mlb, world series, backstreet boys, whitney houston, marvin gaye, national anthem[/tags]

No, neither of the Chicago teams that we were rooting for here at Midwest Sports Fans made the World Series. But still, as baseball fans, most of us will be taking an interest in the World Series.

I think that Boston-LA would have made for, at least on paper, better storylines and drama; but a Tampa Bay-Philadelphia World Series definitely features two exciting teams with great young players, and it features the best and most positive story in Major League Baseball since all the steroids madness started: the improbable run of the young, perennially down-trodden Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series.

The World Series follows the 2-3-2 format at all of the games are, of course, televised on Fox (Joe Buck! Tim McCarver!) and while MLB.com currently lists the Rays’ pitching rotation as TBD (as of this posting), ESPN.com at least made an educated guess. You may want to check these on a daily basis though, as the Rays getting stretched to 7 games by the Red Sox may necessitate Joe Maddon switching things up a bit.

Here is the schedule:

Game 1 — Wed, October 22nd, 8:00 ET — Philadelphia at Tampa Bay | Cole Hamels v Scott Kazmir

Game 2 — Thu, October 23rd, 8:00 ET — Philadelphia at Tampa Bay | Brett Myers v James Shields

Game 3 — Sat, October 25th, 8:00 ET — Tampa Bay at Philadelphia | Matt Garza v Jaime Moyer

Game 4 — Sun, October 26th, 8:00 ET — Tampa Bay at Philadelphia | Andy Sonnanstine v Joe Blanton

Game 5* — Mon, October 27th, 8:00 ET — Tampa Bay at Philadelphia | Cole Hamels v Scott Kazmir (projected)

Game 6* — Wed, October 29th, 8:00 ET — Philadelphia at Tampa Bay | Brett Myers v James Shields (projected)

Game 7* — Thu, October 30th, 8:00 ET — Philadelphia at Tampa Bay | Matt Garza v Jaime Moyer (projected)

* – if necessary

As far as predictions go, both teams are pretty significant rolls heading into the series. Tampa Bay has been on a magical roll all season long; and as with the White Sox in 2005 I just think that Tampa Bay is destiny’s darling this year.

I was surprised that they were able to beat the Red Sox in Game 7, and I think they will ultimately take the World Series in either Game 6 or Game 7 at Tropicana Field in front of some very deserving home fans. This is based on nothing more than a gut feeling, and in knowing that the Rays now have David Price at the end of games to ensure that Dan Wheeler doesn’t piss away a 9th inning lead.

All in all, it should be a great World Series (despite Joe Buck and Tim McCarver).

What is your prediction?

[tags]world series, mlb, philadelphia phillies, tampa bay rays[/tags]

Since July 1st, the Chicago White Sox are basically a .500 team. Look at the numbers. After tonight’s loss to the Red Sox (which dropped us to a half game behind the Twins) we are now 17-16 since the beginning of July. This is not good. And remember earlier in the season when Ozzie Guillen was ripping the offense in the press and our pitching staff was carrying us to respectability? My, my…how the tables have turned.

I remember watching an ESPN game that I am pretty sure was against the Cubs and hearing the oracle of baseball wisdom Joe Morgan (please note the heavy sarcasm) say that our bullpen was one of the best he’d ever seen. Granted, our bullpen was dominating at the time…but the best he’d ever seen? Really Joe? Well, pretty much since that point our pitching staff’s performance, especially the bullpen, has taken a nosedive.

Consider the following statistics, from the last 30 days:

RP Matt Thornton – 5.23 ERA (but 10K/3BB)
RP Octavio Dotel – 5.19 ERA (12K/4BB)
RP Andrew Russell – 7.88 ERA
RP Nick Masset – 12.00 ERA (traded since…replaced by a guy named Ehren Wasserman who has been barely serviceable. Ehren? Even my name looks like it’s spelled normally compared to his!)

And drumroll please…

RP Boone Logan (left) – 18.78 ERA (9K/6B), 23 hits in 7.2 innings

Bobby Jenks, of course, has an ERA of 2.00 in the last month is 5-5 in save opportunities. The problem is that he only has 5 save chances in the whole month! (Yes…I realize he was hurt for part of the time, but still.)

These are not the stats of the “greatest bullpen ever” or even a playoff bullpen. We have to get this figured out. Boone Logan simply cannot be trusted right now. Thornton and Dotel actually have decent numbers other than their ERA, so I don’t feel so badly about those guys. We’ve just given up too many hits, pitched poorly with men on base, and given up a few too many homers. Once we get Linebrink back, I feel good about Thornton-Dotel-Linebrink-Jenks. But we need one or two other guys to step up.

The same is true with the starting pitching staff. Look at these hideous numbers:
Javier Vazquez – 5.33 ERA (24K/10B/28H)
Gavin Floyd – 5.47 ERA (20K/16B/31H)
John Danks – 5.65 ERA (26K/5B/36H)
Mark Beuhrle – 4.99 ERA (17K/5BB/36H)
And Clayton Richard has just been awful in place of Jose Contreras, who was awful before he got hurt.

Beuhrle hasn’t actually been that bad, he just had one awful outing, but has otherwise been lights out since a horrible start to the season. And Danks is simply giving up too many hits, but his K/BB is a positive sign moving forward.

If we are going to win the Central, however…and we are…Javier Vazquez and Gavin Floyd simply have to pitch better. I hate to say it, but I do not have faith in either guy to pitch well in a big spot right now. KVB and I discussed this way back in May when Gavin Floyd took a no hitter deep into the game against Detroit (the first time). His facial expressions and body language just do not inspire confidence in me. He always looks like he’s either scared to death or constipated, neither of which is conducive to success against major league hitting.

I will now completely and knowingly contradict myself by saying I have faith in them to pick it up and pitch well down the stretch…but I’d really like to see them start to prove me right. We don’t have much more time to wait for them to get it going.

Now contrast our awful pitching recently with our hitting, which has been outstanding:

AL MVP Carlos Quentin – .340, 10 HR, 23 RBI, batting 1.000 in the clutch
Jermaine Dye – .301, 6 HR, 17 RBI
Alexei Ramirez – .323, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 4 SB
Orlando Cabrera – .289, .351 OBP, 4 SB
Even Jim Thome – .313, 7 HR, 21 RBI

And guys like Dirty 30, Paulie, A.J., and Juan Uribe have all delivered in clutch situations. We’re hitting fine. And I have a feeling that Paulie is about to get hot, which will only help things. Griffey? Who knows. I think his mere presence means more than anything, and having a lefthanded power bat gives Ozzie some flexibility with the lineup.

The whole point of this post is that while the Sox are ½ game out in the Central, and one back in the loss column for the Wild Card, we have not played like a playoff team recently. But there is another World Champion inside this clubhouse. We’ve proven that we can pitch well. And we’ve proven that we can hit. We just need to put it together. I have a tremendous amount of faith in Ozzie to push the right buttons down the stretch and not only get us into the playoffs, but to have us ready to do something once we get there.

AL MVP Carlos Quentin, Mark Buerhle, and Bobby Jenks will lead this team. J.D., John Danks, and the other veterans on offense will provide consistent support. The keys down the stretch are going to be Javier Vazquez, Gavin Floyd, Matt Thornton, and Octavio Dotel. If those four pitch at or near their capabilities, we will simply outlast the Twins and have a great shot to go deep into October. If those guys continue to pitch at the subpar level they have been at this month, we’re going to be in trouble.

My picks to click for the rest of the season? Javier Vazquez, Gavin Floyd, Matt Thornton, and Octavio Dotel. The good guys are going deep into October this season, and this little cold spell hasn’t shaken my faith.

Don’t stop believing…

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Photo Credits:

Gavin Floyd picture courtesy of The Bleacher Report.

Joe Morgan picture courtesy of this site.

Boone Logan picture courtesy of Foul Balls.

Carlos Quentin picture courtesy of FoxSports.