THE A.J. TO MO EXPRESS

After Cliff Lee's Game One dominance, A.J. Burnett was faced with the task of keeping the Yankees in this World Series. He had drawn a tough Game Two opponent in the crafty veteran, and one of the all-time greats, Pedro Martinez. While many dismissed Martinez, it was A.J. whom they trusted less. He was signed to an oft-criticized contract, and proceeded to have an inconsistent season. He's had an OK post-season, with two decent wins and one bad inning leading to an ugly loss. However, with the pressure on his shoulders and critics at his back, he proved them all wrong, and earned his money in pitching one his best efforts of the season. In seven solid innings, he struck out nine and gave up one run that wasn't even entirely his fault.

This is what the Yanks saw in him last year, when he was a constant torn in their side as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Seemingly, he always rose to the occasion of a big game against the Yanks or Red Sox. They hoped this big gameness would translate to the playoffs, and now it has.

Once he pitched those 7 innings, Joe Giradi handed the ball off to Mariano Rivera. With this move, it was obvious that Giradi was sending a message to the rest of his bullpen. A message of lost trust, and one that hopefully lights a fire under their collective keysters. Mo came in and did his job, getting a six-out save that unfortunately took 39 pitches, the most for him this year. This was the problem with having Rivera pitching 2 innings. The Yankees will now be playing a praying and waiting game that he'll be available for Saturday night's Game Three. Don't get me wrong, this was a must have win, and Mo got the job done, but you have to wonder if maybe Joba could've handled the 8th.

Right now it doesn't matter, and while that last question is a slight second guess, you have to give it to Giradi since all of his moves worked no matter how odd they seemed. First off, he started Jerry Hairston over the Iceman Nick Swisher in right field. Odd, since you had speedster Brett Gardner and powerhouse Eric Hinkse on the bench. I rank both of those guys in front of Hairston, but the utility man is scrappy, and leading off the seventh he slapped a single to right. Gardner was then brought in to pinch-run, and he got all the way to third on a Melky Cabrera single; something Hairston may have not done. Gardner then scored on a Jorge Posada hit, which is another Giradi move. Posada had come off the bench to bat for Burnett's personal catcher, Jose Molina. Had Posada not been there, it's possible that Gardner may have not scored, so all these moves worked out. And you can't doubt Molina in the game either, as A.J. pitched very well, and the catcher nailed a runner leading off first, a move he's made famous.

That Gardner run was number three, and the Yanks only needed two to win as their pitching was that good. The first two runs came on solo shots by Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui. The Teixeira one was much needed for the slumping first baseman, and with ARod also on a slide his offense is most welcomed.

So now the series is tied, and they move to Philly starting tomorrow night. Cole Hamels will face veteran Andy Pettitte in a huge battle that could set the tone for the rest of the series. The Yankees need to win one there to take it back to New York on Tuesday. Halloween night will be as good a time as any to do just that.

GO, GO, GODZILLA!

While the main star of last night's World Series Game Two was hands down the Yankee starter, A.J. Burnett, I'd like to throw some praise to one of the more unsung members of the team, Hideki Matusi. Last night he came through with a clutch go-ahead home run that was good enough to get the win. It lifted the Yankees back into this series a day after the team was demoralized and dominated by Cliff Lee.

It had been a day of doubt, a day where you had to wonder if the Yankees that steamrolled the Twins and soundly beat the Angels, had now been put to sleep early. Trusty Matsui made sure that wasn't to happen. The man once again became the giant firing breathing lizard, and made sure the Yankees were not going to Philly in a hole.

You almost forget that he's done this so many times in the past, as well. Sure, a lot of times he looks lost at the plate, but more often than not he's come through when we've needed it. Maybe his two years of DL stints have hurt him slightly in some fans eyes, or at least made them forget, but he's come back this year to be every bit the warrior he was prior to those arm and knee injuries. If this is his last year with the team, I would love to see him get an ovation at Yankee Stadium the way some of the other greats have had when we've guessed at their departure. A solid Matsui chant would surely move Japanese great. He maybe overlooked, but he's certainly deserving.

I bow to you, Godzilla. Hopefully the fans at the stadium will get a chance to do the same.

LEE DOMINATES GAME ONE

Cliff Lee dominated last night's World Series Game One, he also showed the Yankees up on a couple of occasions. Before I complain, though, I really do have to tip my cap to Lee. I gave the "Ace" edge to CC Sabathia and the Yankees, but so far, Lee is one up on them. He was masterful last night. It was actually one of best pitching performances I've personally seen in any World Series game. The Yanks looked lost, even the super-hot ARod struck out three times! All it really took was two Chase Utley solo shots for the game to be over. The Yankee bullpen gave up 4 more, though, unfortunately. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of these "Ace" match-ups turn out, since it'll most likely be with both of the them on three days rest. Lee hasn't really done it, and threw about a 120 pitches last night. Sabathia has, and I believe he'll be better next time around.

Now the teams turn to Pedro Martinez and A.J. Burnett in Game Two. The pressure is on the Yankees as you don't want to go to Philly down 2-0. How will Pedro respond to a crowd that will clearly be on him? Maybe he'll feed off of it, or maybe he'll fold. He has been a big game pitcher in the past, but can he still do it on this large a stage? And can Burnett bounce back after his bad ALCS Game Five? He better, because you can't trust too many guys in that bullpen right now!

Getting back to Lee...while I can appreciate his work last night, I cannot stand how he treated certain plays. The nonchalant pop-up catch was ridiculous, as was the patting on Posada's behind for an out a bit later. Both felt like he was sticking it to his opponents, which he didn't need to do as he was already mowing them down with surgeon-like precision. Sure, maybe I'm sensitive as a Yankee fan, but I just didn't understand it. My respect level for him, while it was surging prior, dropped a few levels. This is the World Series after-all.

YANKEES V. PHILLIES

The battles have been fought, and now the WAR begins. The New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies have made it to the World Series. With the Fall Classic beginning tonight, lets break it down, position by position:

CATCHER:

Jorge Posada vs. Carlos Ruiz
While the Phillies' backstop is a clutch performer and was fantastic in the NLCS, Posada is one of the best offensive catchers in the game. Their defense is about even, so it's Jorge's experience that puts him ahead.

Advantage: Yankees

FIRST BASE:

Mark Teixeira vs. Ryan Howard
I'm going to go about this the same way most pundits have already. Offensively during the season both of these guys were monsters that can be considered MVP candidates. In the post-season, however, it's been Howard who has continued his mashing, while Teixeira has mostly struggled. That said, Teix has contributed mightily with his glove, which has been one of the top factors of the Yanks' October success thus far. He is far and away the better defender, and that, to me, makes this category a wash.

Advantage: Even

SECOND BASE:

Robinson Cano vs. Chase Utley
This is a tough one. Both had great offensive seasons, but both have underperformed in the post. Utley is rumored to be dealing with multiple injuries, but he is more clutch than Cano, and has World Series experience.

Advantage: Phillies

SHORT STOP:

Derek Jeter vs. Jimmy Rollins
Rollins talks a lot, the Captain does not. Both have been offensive spark plugs at the top of their line-ups, but Jeter has had one of his best seasons ever, and it's continued here in October. Rollins may have gotten a ring last year, but Jeter turns it up like no other on both sides of the diamond in October.

Advantage: Yankees

THIRD BASE:

ARod vs. Pedro Feliz
Defensively, these guys are both pretty good, but that is where it ends. ARod is on another planet right now.

Advantage: Yankees

RIGHT FIELD:

Nick Swisher vs. Jayson Werth
In just about every category, the Phils Right Fielder has performed at a MVP-type level this post-season, while Swisher has struggled more than any other Yankee starter. Easy one.

Advantage: Phillies

CENTER FIELD:

Melky Cabrera vs. Shane Victorino
Melky turned it back on in the ALCS, but Victorino is still a small package of baseball goodness, and another spark plug for the Phillies. Still, though, Melky can be counted on late in games to come through in the clutch. Counting various factors together, I'm actually going to call it even.

Advantage: Even

LEFT FIELD:

Johnny Damon vs. Raul Ibanez
Both had good seasons, but Ibanez's post-season hasn't been great. Damon wasn't great in the ALDS, but great in the ALCS. Ibanez is a much better defender. MUCH BETTER.

Advantage: Phillies

DH:

Hideki Matsui vs. Ben Francisco
The Phillies can also swap Ibanez and Francisco here, if so, then the last category can be interchanged as well. In Yankee Stadium, Matsui is the man.

Advantage: Yankees

ACE PITCHER:

CC Sabathia vs. Cliff Lee
The two Indians will face off in three possible match-ups. Both of them have been fantastic so far, winning CC an ALCS MVP award, but the key will be who can survive going on three days rest. Sabathia is the proven horse here.

Advantage: Yankees

THE REST OF THE ROTATION:

The Yanks have reliable veteran Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett is still a wild card, and have almost no depth past that. Meanwhile, the Phillies have so many pitchers, Charlie Manuel has got them coming out of the bullpen regularly. That said, the Yanks 3 starters are all better than the Phillies past Lee, but is there an advantage to the Phils numbers?

Advantage: Even

MIDDLE RELIEF:

With all those starters plus their regular crew they have the advantage here, especially since most of the Yankee relievers haven't been that trustworthy. If they can turn that around, then they do have the better bullpen. For now, though, it's the Phils.

Advantage: Phillies

CLOSER:

Mariano Rivera vs. Brad Lidge
While Lidge has bounced back from a miserable season, he's no Mo. Nothing more to say.

Advantage: Yankees

BENCH:

Both the Yankees and Phils have a bopper in Matt Stairs and Eric Hinske sitting there, and both guys have been big in these scenarios. There are also other interesting weapons, but the biggest one can be for the Yankees when they hit Citizen's Bank Park, and that is Matsui off the bench. Now that's a weapon!

Advantage: Yankees

MANAGER:

Joe Giradi vs. Charlie Manuel
I've said a lot about Giradi's managing already, but you have to give it to him for getting his team here. Charlie, though, has gotten them here two years in a row.

Advantage: Phillies

Based on the match-ups above it reads 7-5-3 for the Yankees, but a few of these can sway a bit. Are there intangibles? Of course. The Yanks haven't lost a game yet this October in the new Yankee Stadium, and they have home field advantage. They've also been comeback kids all year, and they never quit. The same can be said about the Phillies, though, so it's going be a fight for sure. The Phillies have also not gone further than 5 games in any series in the last two years.

Either way, the story is going down like this: the world champions defend their title against the return of the retired former champs. Fittingly, it sounds like a Rocky movie, and I do believe the retired former champs will come out on top, but that team will be from NY. My predication? Yankees beat the Phillies in a hard fought 7 games.

A NEW ERA

New York baseball finally feels whole again as the Yankees have once again reached the top of the American League and won another pennant. After a hard fought Game Six, with Andy Pettitte fittingly leading the way to victory, the Yanks find themselves looking ahead to tomorrow's start of the World Series and the Philadelphia Phillies. For once, the two best teams in baseball are accurately facing each other, and it should amount to a hell of a match-up, but while the Phillies are the defending world champions, these Yankees feel fresh. The kind of freshness that follows a new era.

The way I see it, since 1996, there have been three specific Yankee eras. The first, of course, is the championship era. This one begins in 1996 with their first World Series win, and goes to 2003 with their last Series appearance. I really believe that this is when that initial run ended. The pitching staff was almost completely changed over after this season, seeing guys like Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, and David Wells go. All of whom were staples of those years. Their replacements, Kevin Brown, Javier Vasquez, and Jon Leiber just did not match-up.

The personality of the roster changed, and with it the magic. ARod and Gary Sheffield arrived to mark the beginning of a new era, one that had already started to plant its seeds in the championship era with Jason Giambi and Mike Mussina. An era that saw a lot of money being thrown around. Basically, this was the start of what I call the "bad decision era". This one is thankfully short, going from '04-'08, but the guys already mentioned, plus others like Randy Johnson, Jaret Wright, Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, and Bobby Abreu just helped this team go south. Sure, they made the playoffs, but they lost, and lost badly. It caused Joe Torre's tenure to finally end here, and it ushered in Joe Giradi's first year. It was a year that saw the Yanks finally miss the playoffs.

That was the final straw for General Manager Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners. Last winter saw the investment in better, younger players like CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, and the acquisition of Nick Swisher. These guys not only brought prime-time talent, but added much needed personality to the crew, and with Mussina, Giambi, and Abreu leaving, it just felt like a cleansing was happening. Don't get me wrong I liked those particular players, but the sweeping changes were good. Besides, this remade team gelled well and is now in the Fall Classic.

Whether they beat the Phillies or not doesn't matter. The personnel has changed for the good. The team is now made up of some of the better players of all three eras. Derek Jeter is still leading by example, ARod is now a leader in his own right, there is a true staff ace, and we have a first baseman that can actually play the position! These guys seem to feed off each other in a way that hasn't been seen in quite awhile. How long this lasts depends on the team's make-up going forward, but they've gone a long way in solidifying themselves already; a World Series win can only help cement it.

YANKEES, WIN, THEEEE YANKEES WIN!

It was touted as a smack down series, and for the most part was, but the ALCS ended with the Yankees soundly beating the Angels in Game Six 5-2. Andy Pettitte pitched like a grizzled grizzley bear, tearing into his opponents with the big-time crafty pitching only a veteran of play-off wars can showcase. He's been there, done that, and he took care of business for 6 1/3 innings, leaving to a well-deserved standing ovation. Surprising or not, depending how you view Joe Giradi's moves, Pettitte was relieved by Joba Chamberlain. This time, however, the kid got the job done, and then for the last two innings the Angels had to face the greatest reliever of all time, Mariano Rivera. While Mo gave up a run in the 8th, but the Halos gave up two more runs in the bottom half, and seemed demoralized in the 9th. Then, Rivera wiped them clean with a 1-2-3 inning ending in a classic strike to deliver his team to the Fall Classic.

The Angels, though, have to blame themselves for this loss more than tipping their caps to their opponents. Sure, series MVP CC Sabathia shut them down in two games, and ARod went nuts this entire series, but it was the Halos untimely errors that was one of the biggest causes for this ousting. The Yankees capitalized on every last one, too; the mark of a smart, and truly excellent team.

While a lot of focus, from myself included, has revolved around Giradi's over-managing, he must be congratulated as despite it all he got them to the World Series. It doesn't make his moves right, but his team responded to him nonetheless, and, for now, all the shouting has quieted.

This win is a major accomplishment for a team that didn't make it last year. Sure, most teams don't make it, but when you play for the Yankees it's standard. And this Yankee team has made the standard far from the norm. This Yankee team has quite possibly started a new era...

RAIN DANCE

Tonight's ALCS Game Six was postponed due to storms in the area, which leads to thoughts on pitching match-ups for the final two games of the series. There are some that believe that the Angels could start John Lackey in Game Seven on short rest. Obviously, this would have to mean a Halos win in Game Six first, but it could happen. The Angels have the pitching depth to make that work and still have Jered Weaver to start Game One of the World Series should they climb that mountain. The Bulldog Ace could be a huge factor in deciding the outcome of this series, which is why a Yankee win is imperative.

An all-out attack on Joe Saunders is very important, and a great performance by staff veteran Andy Pettitte is equally as important. Some thought was most likely given to start CC Sabathia on Sunday no matter what given it would be his normal rest. While many have argued against this as a slight to Pettitte, I actually think it's the highest compliment and would have favored such a move.

To me, we are now getting into a danger zone with CC. He pitched Game Four masterfully on short rest, and while the extra time could help him, he's now reaching an innings total that's hurt him in the past. He's a horse, no doubt, and has not even given any flags to make me think he'll struggle, but why not be cautious? If he pitches Game Six, and has a bad outing, then you still have Pettitte, a guy who's been here before and succeeded, pitching as your last hope. As a Yankee fan, putting the final reins of the season in his hands gives me more comfort. If CC fails in Game Seven then things like money and past failures creep back into the limelight. With Andy there, its more like "oh well, you beat us with one of our boys on the mound, what can you do." If CC continues his mastery in Game Six, then you're going to the World Series anyway, so it doesn't matter. Pitching CC in that possible Game Seven also eliminates him from being used three times in the World Series, and takes him out of the running of pitching that tone-setting first game.

That all said, I'm still fine with keeping it all the same. I do fully trust Andy to get the job done, so this all just conjecture, but these type of thoughts pop into your head when the rains fall, and there's no baseball to watch.

HALOS WIN BATTLE OF MANAGER GAFFES

Last night's intense ALCS Game Five came down to a 7th inning of bad managerial moves that led to a combined 9 runs. A game that ended with a hard-fought 7-6 Angels win. It had begun as a pitching mismatch. John Lackey was exactly as advertised, a bulldog ace with a never-say-die attitude, who mowed down the Yankees for six innings. A.J. Burnett, on the other hand, was playing his weak Dr. Jekyll half, allowing 4 earned runs before recording his first out. However, after that, he settled down and actually pitched very well for the next five innings. Then came one of the more chaotic innings ever in ALCS play.

The Yankees managed to load the bases against Lackey, but he got Johnny Damon to fly out for the second out. That's when an unusual occurrence happened. The man widely considered the best manager in baseball, Mike Scioscia, came and inexplicably pulled out a protesting Lackey for journeyman lefty Darren Oliver. Scioscia did this to turn Mark Teixeira around to his right side. Odd since Teix actually had a better average going that way! As if it were scripted, the Yankee first-baseman proceeded to pummel Oliver's first pitch for a 3-run double. This undoubtedly caused Lackey to go into a Hulk-like rage in the locker room. It also opened the flood gates for a 6-run comeback from the Yankees that pulled them ahead 6-4.

Lackey's team picked both him and their manager's lapse in judgement up in the bottom half of the inning with 3 runs that put them ahead permanently. This is where Joe Giradi had struck again. Maybe because of criticisms of pulling pitchers too early, maybe because Burnett had indeed looked better than he did in the first inning and his pitch count was still low, or maybe just because it's his first ALCS and he's overcompensating for everything, but Joe let A.J. go back out there after sitting for a very long half inning. Again, a half inning where Yankees had pulled ahead. There was no way Burnett was going to be as sharp as he had been. Meanwhile, he had a fresh bullpen ready to go. Burnett went ahead and gave up a single and a walk before being pulled.

Now, OK, I'm against him coming out at all there, but after the first guy gets on, isn't that usually enough? Why put your bullpen that far behind the eightball? A bullpen, that beyond a couple of guys, has struggled lately.

The man out of that bullpen? Lefty Damaso Marte??? What? Not Phil Coke, your #1 lefty all year? Really? Well, you know, I can't complain much here, he actually did the job, it was just a weird call. Next up was Phil Hughes, this season's lockdown set-up man who's had a bad post-season. He did not do the job, and probably should have been pulled earlier. By the time he had gotten out of it, the score was 7-6 Angels.

The next inning was started by Joba Chamberlain, who quickly proved he is most definitely not the guy from '07. Mariano was once again brought in early to clean up the mess. The thing about putting Joba in this role is he really doesn't deserve it. I mean, what has he done this season to prove he's good enough? All he's proven this year was that the Yankees' rules for him did not work at all. Instead, they made him a headcase that everyone in the organization seems to think is better than he currently is. Anyways, the big deal about all of this is that there's a guy languishing in the bullpen that has been used sparingly for no good reason.

Whatever it is about him, Joe Giradi doesn't seem to trust David Robertson, and that is just mind-boggling. The guy had the best strike-out to innings ratio in the AL this year! He was slowed a bit late in the year by a tired shoulder, but in his appearances this post-season he's been nothing short of phenomenal. I just can't understand why he wouldn't jump up a few notches when the rest of them are struggling so. I would've definitely had thrown him in instead of Joba and maybe even Hughes in this game. Then straight to Mo after that, no fooling around with guys that aren't working. Meanwhile, Scioscia had gone to Jered Weaver in the 8th, who took down the Yankees 1-2-3.

In the top of the ninth, Halos closer Brian Fuentes got both Damon and Teixeira out quickly, and then put ARod on with an intentional walk. Well, in a move that ended up not mattering, Giradi lifted ARod for pinch runner Freddy Guzman. Why? What if they did tie it? He was cool with taking his hottest hitter out of the line-up? That's a terrible idea! The crazy thing about it is, ARod isn't slow, and he's a fantastic base-runner, no doubt better than Guzman! Again, it didn't matter because even though the bases were loaded, ice-cold Nick Swisher popped up to end the game.

So more strikes against Giradi, and a their second loss. Not a big deal as the Yanks still lead 3-2, and are headed back to the Bronx for a rainy Saturday showdown. I do want Giradi to do well and lead this team to their 27th championship, but the growing pains are hard to watch, and its extremely easy to get second guessed in this situation. Heck, we've done it with Scioscia, the game's best. He just came out on top this time.

GREAT DEBATE ON TMKS

So, I was listening to The Michael Kay Show today, which airs in the afternoons on 1050 ESPN Radio (AM dial) in the New York area, and he brought up an interesting topic of conversation. His notion was that if he could give up one of the recent Yankee Dynasty's World Series championships to erase the loss of the '04 ALCS to the Red Sox he would. He put it up for debate, and seemed like most folks agreed that they would definitely trade away that embarrassment and distinction of being the only team to lose from a 3-0 lead (to your hated rival no less). The folks that disagreed were greeted with being called fake fans. Well, I also disagree.

Here's the thing about that loss, and no doubt about it, it was ugly, but you just can't drop a great accomplishment to hide a disappointment. Ever! You have to be proud of what you've accomplished in life and celebrate it. You just don't give that away. That screams "sore loser" to me, which is worse to me than being a "fake fan". Do I wish the Yankees didn't lose that series? Of course! However, contrary to TMKS beliefs, that still makes me a fan, a big one no less.

I can live with that loss for a number of reasons. First off, that team's make-up was lousy. Gary Sheffield and ARod were brought in like mercenaries, and just didn't gel with the core. The rotation was also terribly unequipped to face the Red Sox or anyone of any worth that postseason. The fact that they made it to Game Seven of the ALCS was on Dynasty muscle memory alone. And the Dynasty officially died a year earlier with the World Series loss to the Marlins.

The Yanks deserved to lose that '04 series. After Game Three, they played terribly. They lost their guts, and gave up. It was disgusting to see. Meanwhile, the Red Sox played fantastically, and you had to admire what they did. By the end, I actually wanted them to win and put that sorry excuse for a Yankee team out of their misery, and, honestly, I rooted for them in the World Series. It was just their time. I don't celebrate my fandom by living and dying by how my team's rivals do. I don't have to hate The Mets or the Sox to prove how much I love my team. That's beyond ridiculous to me.

I believe that line of thinking comes from generations prior to mine. I bet polling folks by age groups would reveal that, too. And those in my age group that do have that hatred in them, do so because their parents fandom bled into them. Maybe I'm wrong, and I am a fake fan after all. Either way, I'm not giving up the championships I enjoyed celebrating so much, that the Yanks worked so hard to win. Not to erase a the embarrassment of that loss, one they had every reason to lose anyway. They'll do that with another World Series appearance anyway.

What do you think?

PHILLIES PROVE THEIR WERTH!

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have the chance to defend their World Series title, a feat that is very rare in this era of baseball. They can thank their MVP Ryan Howard, they can thank last night's hero and ALCS stud Jayson Werth (who bolted a hot pair of homers), they can thank their new ace Cliff Lee, and they can thank their born-again closer Brad Lidge. Sure, there were many more factors since this team, as a whole, played well. Not only that, but they played like a defending champion, and they did it with the guts and heart of a lion.

This is the no-doubt best team in the NL. They may have the best 1 through 9 in the playoffs, although that distinction can also go to the Yankees. The difference between them is that everyone seems to clicking for the Phillies. These guys are the real deal, clutch as can be, and if they can keep their pitching above water, their second championship in a row could be in sight.

Last night's 10-4 elimination win over the Dodgers, as was most of this series, just emphasizes how a great line-up can eat up mediorce pitching for breakfast. The only man in the Dodgers rotation that had pitched well, Vincente Padilla, was swallowed whole! Ned Colletti is going to have to overhaul that rotation in the off-season.

For now, though, the Dodgers drop back to a distant memory. Joe Torre can go drink his green tea in peace, Manny can shower whenever he wants, and they can hope that the young Dodger players have taken some valuable lessons from this ousting.

The Phillies now await for a victor to emerge from the ALCS. The Yankees hold a 3-1 lead going into tonight's Game Five, but the Angels are turning to their ace to send them back to NY with them. You can bet that Charlie Manuel's gritty crew of mashers will be watching. So will I.

THE MELKMAN COMETH!

While the easy route to begin writing about last night's ALCS Game 4 would be to sing the praises of CC Sabathia and ARod, who dutifully deserve it, it's the player at the very bottom of the Yankees line-up who I feel deserves the highest honor for the 10-1 New York victory. That, of course, being Center/Rightfielder Melky Cabrera. The Melkman delivered a career highlight of a night, going 3-4 with 4 RBIs including a double and a fantastic bunt single.

Remember, this is a player who lost his Centerfield job last year, was sent down to the minors, and who lost it again in Spring Training despite playing well. However, the great thing about Cabrera was that he was about to learn valuable lessons in humility, determination, and guts. He braved it all and did whatever it took to keep himself relevant enough to stick around.

He did just that, and when Brett Gardner, on a short leash, stumbled, Melky jump in and took back his job. Even though Joe Giradi flip flopped him and Gardner a couple of other times this season, he went on to have an incredibly clutch year.

It hadn't really carried over into the post-season, though, anchoring a bottom of the order (Cano and Swisher making up the other parts of it) that altogether have not done the job they've done previously. Cano has scattered a couple of big hits, but Melky and Swisher haven't done much at all. Now, we can scratch Cabrera off that list. He's contributed big time to a Yankee club that's on a mission, and winning in spite of their manager's match-up driven machinations.

One day after a loss that could've changed the momentum of the series, the architect
of it was quiet. You didn't hear a peep out of Giradi last night. Maybe he heard the chatter, maybe it was just that his team played their best over all game. Whatever it was, it was all welcome. This is how he should go about it. Let his guys do what they do best. This was the best team in baseball this year for a reason.

I will say this, though, here's a man who stands by his convictions. He has no regrets about the pitching change that replaced Dave Roberston and made a goat out of Alfredo Aceves. While I still don't agree with hm, you have respect his dedication to his craft.

That said, last night's win showed that less is more, especially when your team features such a cavalcade of talented superstars. This lineup can get the job done. They knew they had to have this game, they had to stop the Angels in their tracks. With Melky and the Amazing ARod leading an offensive that also featured big hits from Jorge Posada and Johnny Damon they did just that. However it was the big guy on mound who really shut the door.

In his 3rd Post-Season start this year he put on his best performance, going 8 strong innings (with a minor blip in the 5th inning). He kept the Halos off-balance with ace stuff that was a real treat to watch, and he did all on short rest. The Yankees will need their other big ticket pitcher to improve on his last outing tomorrow night to close it out. A.J. Burnett has shown at times this year that he can be disgustingly overpowering, and an ace in his own right. This is the spot to prove it and send the Yankees to the Fall Classic.

Before that happens, the Phillies will have their own opportunity to get a pass to the World Series. They'll send beleaguered Cole Hamels to the mound to give it a shot, while Joe Torre's Dodgers throw out Vincente Padilla in an effort to try to get this series back to LA. It'll be quite a story if that can happen.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING WALK-OFFS

I officially dub last night "Night of the Living Walk-Offs", as both LCS games ended in dramatic fashion. I already documented the Angels extra-inning walk-off, AKA the Joe Giradi Special, in my last column, but later on the Phillies did the same, blowing up yet another closer (Broxton) in the process. They are now one game away from the World Series, and you have to think that the Dodgers will not be escaping Philadelphia.

Charlie Manuel's line-up is filled with gritty gamers led by the unstoppable force known as Ryan Howard. They won a World Series last year for a reason, and the more they play this series, the more I think it's silly that I picked against them. I can't fathom how the Dodgers can respond and run the table for the rest of this NLCS. St. Joe will really have work some magic for that to happen, but in reality, it's been awhile since Torre has really had that type of magic.

You have to hand to Brad Lidge as well. Everyone listed him, and Manuel's faith in him, as reason #1 that the Phillies weren't getting far in these playoffs, but he's changed his whole season around at exactly the right time. With him being fine, the rest of the team is doing what they do. Never say die, and win.

Getting back to the ALCS, there was another waste of a move I forgot to mention yesterday, and that was bringing in Damaso Marte for a batter, him doing his job, but then starting the next inning he brings in his other lefty, Phil Coke, to face a lefty in Bobby Abreu! El Comedulce then proceeds to rip a double, which, luckily, El Capitan caught him rounding to far off second with a great throw to a perfectly placed Mark Teixeira. Still, though, the move made no sense, and you eliminated another pitcher early.

There were a few pluses to the Yanks yesterday, though, like bringing in Mo when they did, who proceeded to do a Houdini act and get the Yankees out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam. The guy that helped with that was the aforementioned Teixeira, who while continuing to be clueless with the stick, has been fantastic with his glove. He's saved the Yankees multiple times this post-season, and his abilities were on full display last night during that inning, with covering second as mentioned above, and numerous other plays. His bat, though, needs to come alive tonight, as do many others in their line-up.

And make no mistake, tonight's Game Four is huge. Can CC Sabathia pitch well on 3 days rest? This was one of the big decisions the Yanks made, and if this comes back to bite them as well, then the series will become seriously interesting with the momentum switching sides (if it hasn't already). CC has already earned his money this post-season, but he's being put up against it tonight against an extremely fresh Scott Kazmir. With the NLCS being off, all eyes will be firmly on Anaheim tonight.

GIRADI COSTS YANKEES GAME THREE

Yes, Alfredo Aceves was the pitcher of record, giving up two, two-out hits to Howie Kendrick and Jeff Mathis for the walk-off, but it was Joe Giradi, who once again over-managed and cost the Yankees the game.

Let's break it down:

He had brought Dave Robertson in to start the bottom of the 11th, and Robertson made easy work of Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales. Of course, in Giradi-land this means you must've failed because ,once again, there he was bounding up the stairs, inexplicably pulling Robertson for the lighter tossing Aceves. A weird, unnecessary maneuver that has followed a pattern for Giradi this post-season. A pattern of micro-managing that widdled the Yankee bullpen again down to nothing but Chad Gaudin for the second game in a row, this time with disastrous results.

You cannot manage like that! You can't just keep moving to a new guy in a tie game two days after playing in a 5 hour marathon. It's ludicrous! If I recall correctly, it was Aceves who gave up the run in the 11th of the last game as well! Dave Robertson has pitched very well for the Yankees, but Giradi trusts his binder of match-ups more than what he sees in front of him. To me, Robertson pitching to Kendrick was a no-brainer. Heck, I would've had him pitch the next inning if necessary as well!

But wait, there's more...

Earlier in the game, he pulled Andy Pettitte after getting an out in the 7th. We're not at the stadium, Joe, he's not going to get a standing ovation for his efforts here. Sure, he gave up three runs, but he wasn't pitching bad at all. Of course, it's the 7th inning so Robo-Manager has to bring in Joba, the current 7th inning guy Du Jour, who goes ahead and gives up a go-ahead run.

You can also argue that pinch-running for Matusi cost the Yanks an extra run in the 8th. Brett Gardner was once again called on to do the duties, but he went ahead and got himself thrown out. Had he kept Matsui in, Jorge Posada's follow-up homer would have netted two runs instead of one. It also eliminated Matsui from the order, a spot he could have come up in a couple of innings later instead of Jerry Hairston Jr., who struck out swinging.

Let's not even mention all his trips to the mound. Let these guys do their jobs, Joe!!! You knew that at some point all this micro-managing was going to lead to a loss. Well, here it was. Applause to you, Mr. Giradi. I hope you've learned your lesson, because if not, the Steinbrenners will not be happy.

I'll break down the rest of the game, plus the NLCS Game Four tomorrow, but this issue needed its own space.

ROMPER STOMPER ROOM

When the Dodgers tied the NLCS at one, many thought they'd get on roll, and with Philly-Killer Hiroki Kuroda on the mound, a 2-1 series lead was all but assured for Joe Torre's troupe. Well, that couldn't have been further off the mark as the Phillies chased the Japanese import from Game Three before the second inning was even over. The final score would end up being 11-0, with two more yet to be played at Citizen's Bank Park. Now it's the Phillies who have the chance to run away with the series, never having to send it back to LA.

How did this happen? Like the Yankees' Game One victory over the Angels it's just simple math. In this case, lockdown pitching + the NL's most potent offensive working in tandem. They get any more performances like that from both areas of the team, and it'll be a foregone conclusion as to what will happen here.

While this series is far from over, you have to wonder how this crushing loss and overall pitching failure will affect the Dodgers, a team many picked to win (myself included) because of their dominance over the Cardinals. Joe Torre has handled losses like this well in the past and came out on top, but this team is much younger and emotional. If he could right the ship here, his praises will be sung even louder than before.

Interestingly enough, I also picked the Rockies to squeak by the Phillies. But why choose against the former wolrd champs with an offensive that was better than last years? It's that bullpen, which has overachieved a bit, and the way Charlie Manuel has handled it that made this team questionable. The starting rotation and lineup have, thus far, made this a mute point, though. Can they keep it up? Tonight's Game Four will be sure to let us know.

YANKS WIN BY A HAIR(STON)!

Bottom of the 13th, and Jerry Hairston Jr., Mr. Super-Utility for the Yankees, gets the word. You're up. Pinch-hitting time after a 5 hour wait, and many, many days since even coming up at all in a real game situation, but he's a pro, and he took it for all it was worth. He lined a hard, clean single in no time flat. Next up, Brett Gardner and a perfect bunt up the first base line. He's out, but he gets Hairston to second. Mission accomplished, thank you, Gritty Gardner. Intentional walk to Cano, the last in a long line throughout the night. Time for the Melk-man to deliver. Alas, a multi-bouncer to deep second base. Should get the Hair to third while mowing down at least one runner. But No! Maicer Izturis unleashes a wild throw to second which flies towards third. Hairston rounds third, flying home, Chone Figgins tries to grab it and mow him down, but he get can't a grip of the ball, and that's the ballgame, folks! Yankees Win! And a nice pie to the face of Jerry Hairston!

That summed up the final half inning of a frustratingly great ALCS Game Two. Another come from behind win from the Yankees, a team that's seemingly always in it no matter who's up. A team that can do it in so many ways, and manager Joe Giradi deftly employing various strategies to get the job done, and now a well deserved break after dealing with cold weather and hard rain from the 9th inning on.

However, five grueling hours earlier, A.J. Burnett started his second post-season game, and for the most part pitched very well, at times looked dominating, but at times wild. None more wild than his "one bad inning": the 5th, where hitting batters and throwing the ball away was the norm leading to 2 game tying runs from the Angels. He bounced back in the 6th, and got one out in the seventh before being pulled after a Robbie Cano error, the first of a couple bad ones for the second baseman. The Yankee bullpen allowed just one run in the next 6 2/3 innings, that one coming on a Figgins double off of Alfredo Aceves in which the Gary Matthews scored on Johnny Damon's weak throwing arm. Otherwise, the staff did the job.

That Figgins RBI would be in the top of the 11th. The Halos would bring in their closer, Brian Fuentes, to close it out and go home tied 1-1. It wasn't to be, as the Yanks' '09 post-season hero came up big once again. On an 0-2 pitch ARod went yard, just clearing the right field fence and Bobby Abreu's leap! Rodriguez would come up again in the very next inning with the bases loaded, but flied out to center instead. He is human after all, but with the Yanks going ahead 2-o in the series, that last at-bat wouldn't even matter. It's the tying homer that fans would ever care about.

While the Yankees won out, you have to applaud Angels starter Joe Saunders for the tremendous effort he brought forth, this after being laid off since October 4th. He had the Yankees guessing most of the night, only coming through twice on a triple and homer by Cano and Derek Jeter, respectively. Their bullpen also pitched well, the only mistake going to their closer.

Mistakes, though, is what has killed the Angels thus far. Maybe you can blame the cold, maybe it's jitters, maybe the Ghosts? Who knows, but you can bet that Mike Scioscia and crew are glad to be heading home for the next three games. The Yankees had their own share of mistakes last night, and since both teams aren't very prone to them, especially in the infield, the weather is most likely the key factor.

Some guys weren't fazed by it, though, like Damon who made some wonderful plays in left field, and he's one of the guys you trust least on the field. And even though he's had a hard time wth the stick so far, his ALDS game-winning homer notwithstanding, Mark Teixeira has saved the Yankees more times than you can count this post-season; last night in particular being on point of way too many clutch fielding plays. Remember this is a team effort, and every contribution helps.

So the teams are California bound, to warmer weather, and probably better playing. Who will heat up? We'll find out tomorrow afternoon.

CC + MO = SUCCESS!

The formula last night in Game One of the ALCS was simple for the Yankees, have your ace, CC Sabathia, get the ball to your closer, Mariano Rivera. That's exactly what they did as they went up 1-0 on the Angels. CC was dominant for 8 innings and 113 pitches, culminating with a well-deserved fist-pumping strike out. Then Mo came out and took care of business in the 9th. Perfect for a 4-1 win.

The players were bundled up, looking like ninjas, as they played through grueling cold and drizzle in a 3+ hour game. Maybe the cold affected the Angels sensibilities more as the usually flawless gold glovers netted four errors on the night, including an inexplicable dropped infield pop-up between Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar. That first inning gaff set the tone for the rest of the night. You had to feel sorry for an angry John Lackey, who pitched well despite his team.

Johnny Damon broke out of his slump with a couple of hits and runs scored, and Jeter, ARod, and Matsui continued their '09 post-season success. ARod awkwardly barrelled into catcher Jeff Mathis when he blew through a stop sign at third, but was out. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the run didn't matter. You can tell ARod doesn't really do things like that, as he should've went low and came up with the tackle, but you have to give him an A for effort!

Not more needs to be said though, the game really just came down to what Sabathia did on the mound. Tonight, again weather permitting, A.J. Burnett goes one-on-one with Joe Saunders, who hasn't pitched since October 4th. Will he be rusty? And can A.J. build upon his Division Series game? We'll see tonight.

Game Two of the NLDS was also played yesterday, but instead of the slobberknocker that was Game One, Pedro Martinez and Vincente Padilla engaged in an old-fashioned pitcher's duel. The Dodgers and Padilla ended up winning out, squeaking by with a 2-1 victory. That came after Charlie Manuel oddly took out Martinez after an economical and excellent 7 innings and 87 pitches. The Phillies then gave up a run on Chase Utley's throwing error, followed by J.A. Happ walking Andre Ethier with the bases loaded. I'm sorry, but how can Manuel have that much faith in that bullpen? This loss may come back to bite him. Broxton closed it out in the 9th. The two teams will continue their series tomorrow back in Philadelphia.

PUTTING A LIDGE ON GAME ONE

Yeah, I couldn't refuse that headline, but he did it. Brad Lidge closed out Game One of the NLCS doubling up Casey Blake and Matt Kemp and inducing a pop up by Ronnie Belliard. He let two on again, but it didn't matter in this game. Afterwards Lidge said he felt like he was back, which is fine, but results are what matter, and so far this post-season the results have been overall favorable.

Ryan Madson, however, was not good, giving up a bunch of runs in the 8th so they still have bullpen issues. The Dodgers set-up man, former closer George Sherrill had problems last night as well, giving up the 3-run homer to Raul Ibanez that put the game out of reach.

The game was a slugfest, with homers from Carlos Ruiz and Ibanez for the Phillies and James Loney and ManRam for the Dodgers, chasing starters Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels. Manny, while homering, couldn't come up with anything else the rest of the night with men on base, but he's not super-human, and worse than that he's getting old!

I'm surprised Torre kept Kershaw in for as long as he did, since it he's known to have an itchy trigger finger in the playoffs. His faith in Kershaw didn't pay off this time. The kid does look like he'll be a winner, but last night wasn't his night, as the Phillies super-potent lineup had his number throughout. They are clutch all up and down the lineup as shown by Ruiz socking a 3-run dinger to put the Phillies ahead early.

Even with the Phillies winning this one, you have to be concerned about Cole Hamels moving forward. He has not looked good this season, and his funk has continued in the post-season. The bats may not be there in every game he starts, so it bears watching.

Today, Game Two showcases an interesting match-up in Pedro Martinez vs. Vincente Padilla, as both players at one time played for the opposite team. Even more interesting will be seeing Pedro face Manny. The game starts at 4:07(EST).

And also, later tonight, weather permitting, the Yankees and Angels get it on. LCS, baby!

YANKEES V. ANGELS

Yesterday I broke down the NLCS, choosing the Dodgers in 7. That series begins tonight so we'll see how it goes, but it should be stellar either way. Friday night, barring a rain out, the ALCS is set to start with the Yankees facing their nemesis the Angels of Anaheim. Having defeated the Yanks the last two times they have met in the postseason ('02/'05), and after conquering their own nemesis in Boston, the Angels are looking to run over NY enroute to the World Series. These NY Yankees, however, aren't quite the same as those previous teams. This is a more talented and focused team that has gelled incredibly well as the season has gone on. Both teams swept their first round opponents, but who will move on? Let's break it down:

STARTING ROTATION:

The Angels have a deep rotation, with a bunch of mini aces headed up by John Lackey. He's got the post season chops and a ring, and he's ready for more. He'll be followed by Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, and Scott Kazmir. Saunders hasn't pitched in a while, and although he's done well at Yankee Stadium this year, it'll be interesting to see how he comes out of the gate. They also have Ervin Santana to back these guys up if anything happens.

The Yankees, again barring weather related postponements, will most likely go with the three-headed monster of Sabathia/Burnett/Pettitte for the whole series with CC pitching three times. Why not, really? He's supposed be the horse, and history shows he can do it, especially since he's already on extra rest now; he'd only be going on short rest once in Game Four. If they do get rain outs in there, Joe Giradi will most likely go with Chad Gaudin in Game Four as Joba seems to have solidified the bullpen, and why mess with that? Gaudin is OK, but he definitely brings down the quality a bit.

Advantage: Angels

BULLPEN:

While the variables of the weather may give the Angels the slight edge in starting pitching, it only helps the Yankees bullpen get stronger. This is as tough as bullpens get with the best closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera, as their General. His set-up men are Phil Hughes and Chamberlain. Hughes was a bit shaky in the ALDS, but that just could've been jitters; he's been insanely good otherwise. The rest of the bullpen is pretty solid as well.

The Angels bullpen is OK at best, and has its moments as closer Brian Fuentes had with the Red Sox, but can these guys stand up to a team that is known for late inning comebacks? We'll soon find out.

Advantage: Yankees

CATCHER:

Mike Napoli isn't bad, but he's not on the level of Jorge Posada yet, and Posada's backup and most likely Game Two starter, Jose Molina, was an Angel himself which may provide a bit of an edge.

Advantage: Yankees

INFIELD:

The Angels boast a fast, solid infield with power at first in Kendry Morales, some combination of Maicer Iztutis, Erick Ayber, and Howie Kendrick manning the middle infield, and crafty Chone Figgins at third. Not bad at all right? Of course the Yankees only have one of the best infields EVER in Teixeira/Cano/Jeter/ARod! Not much more to say there.

Advantage: Yankees

OUTFIELD:

I believe the Angels win out here with an outstanding outfield led by Torii Hunter in center. He's flanked by Juan Rivera and Bobby Abreu, a man that's changed much of the free-swinging culture of the team. The Yankees outfield is good with the stick, but other than center field (Melky Cabrera), they lack defensively. Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher both had bad NLDS' and hope to bounce back, if not the Yanks could be in trouble.

Advantage: Angels

BENCH:

This is an interesting category as both teams have pretty good benches. The Yanks will carry two extra catchers, both of whom are good defensively, Jerry Hairston can play anywhere, and they have both Brett Gardner and Freddy Guzman as great speed weapons. The Angels also have speed weapons in Reggie Willets, Gary Matthews Jr., and one of the middle infielders. I'd have to say it's fairly even.

Advantage: Even

DH:

Hideki Matsui vs. Vlad Guerrero. A battle of honorable warriors. A battle of battle scarred veterans. They've had their ups and downs the last few years. In their prime, Vlad was probably better, but Godzilla has taken well to the DH role, and has had a wonderful season. In this ALCS they are an even threat.

Advantage: Even

MANAGER:

While Joe Giradi had much better results with his team than he did last year, he's now going up against one of the best in Mike Scioscia. The Angels skipper deploys NL sensibilities into an AL built line-up with fantastic results. Giradi has been much criticized on some of his moves, but has made it this far. If he can pass this next formidable test, then he'll go a long way up the ladder, but for now he's quite a few rungs down from Scioscia.

Advantage: Angels

So what we have here is a very even series as I split the categories 3-3-2. It definitely has potential to go the distance. The Angels have a lot of motivation, having conquered their Red Sox demons, and are also playing for their fallen teammate, Nick Adenhart. The aforementioned Bobby Abreu has really helped this team. He's a professional hitter that can do a lot of things. He's taught this whole team to be more patient and leads by example. I also expect their running game to be prolific, although the Yankee catching is better than the Sox. The Yankees, though, have had a tremendous amount of come from behind wins, so you can never count them out, and their main line-up is the best in baseball. If the weather doesn't mess with the schedule much, then they can run out their King Ghidorah Rotation, and their bullpen is ready to shut down the rest of the game. The Yanks also have home field advantage which they use better than any other team.

MY PREDICTION: The Yankees take a hard fought battle in seven.

DODGERS V. PHILLIES

The NLCS begins tomorrow night with the surprising Dodgers taking on the defending champion Phillies in a rematch from last year. Is it wrong to call the Dodgers surprising? After all they did win the NL West. While its no surprise they won that, they didn't play well down the stretch, and the Cardinals looked like a monster team. The Phillies, on the other hand, while having the most suspect bullpen, still have a AL style lineup and a darn good rotation. So how do they match-up? Let's take a look:

STARTING ROTATION:

The Dodgers staff, while doing well in the NLDS, is still suspect. They don't have an ace, but a bunch of guys that can be hit or miss. The Phillies lineup is much deeper than the Cards was, so they are going to have to be a hit rather than a miss. The Dodgers will throw out Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Vincente Padilla, and then one of the following: Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, or Jon Garland. None of which are bad pitchers really, but none that you can say are great as well.

The Phillies will be firmly behind their acquired ace, Cliff Lee. He'll start twice in this series, if needed. Behind him, they'll have their displaced ace Cole Hamels, who despite a shaky regular season and NLDS start, is still better than all of the Dodgers' rotation. Behind him is possible Rookie of the Year J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton, and crafty vet Pedro Martinez. Nuff Said.

Advantage: Phillies

BULLPEN:

As I've stated here a few times already, the Phillies have a crazy shaky bullpen, probably the worst out of all the playoff teams, and definitely the worst out of the teams that are left. Brad Lidge has been OK, but he's still a major question, and there's no one else you trust out of there. One or two starters may be used in the pen, but only Happ has any real experience doing so.

In contrast, the Dodgers have a tremendous bullpen. Their closer Broxton throws super hard, and is real solid. They have another closer with their setup man in George Sherrill, and after that, every guy has contributed, even Jeff Weaver! Torre trusts his bullpen so much he has no qualms about taking a starter out real early and going strictly bullpen.

Advantage: Dodgers

CATCHER:

Russell Martin vs. Carlos Ruiz. Both had similar offensive years, but Martin's defense outshines Ruiz', though the Phillies' backstop is pretty clutch. I'd say this is fairly even.

Advantage: Even

INFIELD:

This is one isn't really close: Howard/Utley/Rollins/Feliz is one of the best in baseball. Dodgers have Loney/Belliard(or Hudson)/Furcal/Blake manning the infield spots. Not a bad infield in its own right, but in almost every category they are outshined here. I'd say, only the Yankees have a better infield, but that could be one of the best in baseball EVER.

Advantage: Phillies

OUTFIELD:

This one is a lot closer, but this time it skews to the Dodgers. Ethier/Kemp/Manny are excellent. Ethier is super clutch, Kemp was one of the best overall players in '09, and Manny is Manny; a Manny that's beginning to get hot no less. The Phillies also boast a great outfield with Werth/Victorino/Ibanez. They've got power, speed, and can be clutch yet they still fall short.

Advantage: Dodgers

BENCH:

The Dodgers bench is one of the best. With Belliard most likely still starting, you have Orlando Hudson to start, then you have a starting outfielder on most teams in Juan Pierre as a fourth outfielder, and, oh, they have Jim Thome! Plus others such as Mark Loretta just make them hard to beat. The Phillies have Matt Stairs.

Advantage: Dodgers

MANAGER:

Um, well there's Joe Torre... Sorry, Charlie, but nothing more needs to be said.

Advantage: Dodgers

Overall, it seems obvious that the Dodgers have the edge, or do they? Stacked up together, I think the Phillies line-up can easily mow through the Dodgers starters, but not through their bullpen. The Phillies will also rely on their starters to go deeper, but they'll have to go to their bullpen at some point, and that's where the Dodgers, known for late inning comebacks, will strike. That's the advantage that counts the most for me.

MY PREDICTION: Dodgers get their revenge, but will have to go seven to do it.

RE: DIVISION SERIES PREDICTIONS

So the Division Series action came to a close last night with the Phillies outlasting the Rockies in a battle of comeuppance. A rally in the top of the ninth, Huston Street continuing the blown save trend, gave them the final lead, and Brad Lidge struck out Troy Tulowitzki to close it out. I firmly believe Charlie Manuel's uncanny faith in Lidge was a big factor in this advancement. He hasn't been perfect, but he's getting the job done in the postseason, and nothing counts more.

While I always felt in my heart that Philadelphia would make it through, I gave my prediction to the Rox as my one surprise pick. After all, what fun are predictions if you can't go out on a limb a little bit? In hindsight, I should've picked the Dodgers, whom I have some loyalty to as a former Brooklyn team, but I went safe in that series for all the good it did me.

So lets see, how'd I do overall? Two for four with one perfect pick. That one belongs to the Yankee sweep of the Twins. I just bet my money that overall the Yanks had the better team in every department and they came through for me. I also picked the Angels in five, they instead came up with a sweep of a limp Boston team. The Dodgers baffled the Cardinals in a sweep as well with their bullpen completely shutting the door. I had picked the Cards in 4, and boy am I glad I was wrong! And the Phillies took care of the Rox in 4, I had the latter in 5. No big deal there, and most definitely not shocking.

So, the Championship Series are set up for a Thursday start, and whichever way you go, you'll have a great World Series. I'll breakdown these series and offer new predictions as the week moves along.

CLOSERS IMPLODE AS SWEEPS CONTINUE

Somebody didn't send the memo to Philadelphia and Colorado: this was the year the Division Series match ups were all supposed to end in sweeps. All three of the other series ended that way, surprising and not all at the same time. The Dodgers pleasantly surprised me, and the Angels and Yankees merely did what I thought they'd do, win their respective series to meet in the ALCS.

I must say, though, while I thought all along that the Anaheim team would make it through, I didn't expect them to do it with such relative ease. Something about Boston just didn't seem to be there. Something wasn't clicking right. Their usual fire just didn't catch, as it was through the final stretch of the regular season. Their starting pitching did fine, a mistake or two costing them big, but their bats just couldn't support those mistakes.

Worst of all was Jonathan Papelbon's big time blown save yesterday. He of the big mouth completely fell apart, a trend amongst most of the closers thus far in the playoffs. Even Mariano Rivera gave up a run in Game 2. Mike Scoiscia's team turned it on when it counted yesterday, allowing them to celebrate within the usually unforgiving green walls of Fenway.

Another highly regarded closer, Joe Nathan of the Twins, was terrible in their series as the Yankees took advantage of what his blown confidence and abilities offered up. ARod hurt him in game two, and yesterday he gave the Yanks a cushion by allowing two in the top of the ninth.

Is it because of the level of competition? Does a better hitter triumph over a good closer in these situations? Or is it just luck? I'd love to see a stat on this.

In a stunning turn of events, though, Brad Lidge got the save for the Phillies last night putting them ahead 3-2. So you never know how these things will work out. The Phillies will try to close it out tonight behind Cliff Lee.

DODGER SURPRISE

So they did it, the Dodgers pulled off a sweep of the Cardinals last night. Not really a shock with a lineup like that, and a Hall of Fame manager leading the way, but a somewhat surprise to any baseball pundit. The Cards were stacked on the pitching side of things and had a very good lineup as well lead by mega stars Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday, but in this series neither could produce when it counted. The Dodger pen was as advertised, shutting the door on Tony LaRussa's team in each game. Yesterday's game, though, it was Torre's choice of starter that blanked the Cards.

Vincente Padilla, is one of the more hated pitchers in baseball. Both opponents and teammates have had problems with him. Mark Teixeira looked like he wanted to severely beat him earlier in the year. Texas ended up dumping him shortly afterwards, and the pitching deprived Dodgers took a flyer on him. It worked out. He pitched well down the stretch, and yesterday he took down the Cards in the most important game of the year thus far. His teammates all seemed to like him and showered him with hugs. Huh. Maybe Saint Joe performed a miracle, or maybe Mr. Padilla learned a valuable lesson by being embarrassed by the Rangers. Either way, the LA Dodgers are going to the ALCS.

The other NLDS game was postponed till tonight as snow and icy cold weather shut down Denver. The Phillies also announced that J.A. Happ will replace Pedro Martinez as the starter. I would guess the much younger Happ has a better chance at braving the elements and getting the job done. Pedro is probably not too happy. I still see this as an advantage for the Rockies being its their turf. Both ALDS series have their game threes as well, and the for the Angels and Yanks it could be clinchers.

WORTH EVERY PENNY

If these early few days of the playoffs have proved anything, it's that you get what you pay for. At least this time out, and at least for the Yankees. In Game One of their ALDS, CC Sabathia got over his post season demons and pitched a nice 6 2/3 innings. In last night's Game Two, A.J. Burnett pitched 6 innings of one run ball. It wasn't very tidy, 5 walks/3 hits batsmen, but he held down the Twins. Minnesota struck against Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera, though, making it a 3-1 game going into the bottom of the 9th. The Yanks final off-season mega- purchase, Mark Teixeira, ripped a single, setting up baseball's highest priced player, ARod, to go yard and tie the game! Extra innings brought frustration, Brett Gardner getting doubled off 3rd, and relief as Dave Robertson worked out of a bases loaded jam. It came back to the Yanks and Teixeira leading off the bottom of the 11th. The superstar first baseman showed why he's here, drilling a line drive homer that skipped into the stands for another walk-off win for the Yankees!

Many will argue that money will buy another championship, but the Yankees have always spent money. ALWAYS. It doesn't mean anything unless you gather the right guys, the perfect mix, and this year with these acquisitions, (Sabathia/Burnett/Teixeira plus Swisher and other smaller contributors) it just seems like the Yanks have put together that right mix. Time will tell yet, but there's a feel here that I, as a fan and observer, haven't felt in a long time. These guys actually look like they like each other, how novel! And they're having fun, too, which is super important for the psyche of the team. Now they'll have to take that camaraderie on the road to Minneapolis with some of the loudest fans in the country. Will they break through it for the series sweep? We'll see tomorrow night!

In other ALDS action, the Angels go up 2-0 on Boston with another stellar pitching performance, this time by Jered Weaver. As predicted, they are also running all over Boston's catching, and last night they frustrated Josh Beckett into making some 7th inning mistakes, leading to their 4 runs. These two games are proving how much more confident these Angels are, and if they can go back to Boston and take one, they'll be one step closer to a second championship this decade. They'll have Boston killer Scott Kazmir to do it in Game Three. Today, the NL teams play their third games, and Torre's Dodgers can clinch an ALCS berth with a win. Should be exciting!

THE TORRE FACTOR

The LA Dodgers have ruined my predictions. By going 2 up on the heavily favored Cardinals they've already exceeded expectations, but that's the Torre Factor for you.

Being a Yankee fan, (did I mention that?) I came to get used to the way Torre worked his club during the playoffs. Even took it for granted, but it took a couple of years away from the man to see it clearly again. The man plays on guts alone. Match-ups and stat sheets mean nothing. Sheer guts gets him through. Sometimes it doesn't, though, but you have to admire him nonetheless.

In Game 1 of their NLDS, Torre took out starter Randy Wolf very early, and leaned on his much stronger bullpen to get him 5+ outs. And it worked! Last night, his team rewarded him by mounting a come from behind win off of Cards closer Ryan Franklin. Two of the guys in the middle of that? Ronnie Belliard, whom Torre has been sticking to instead of regular Orlando Hudson, and pinch hitter Mike Loretta. Right guys at the right time?

Nope, thats the Torre Factor. It'll be interesting to see how far it gets them this year.

In other Division Series action: The Rox tied the Phillies at one game a piece behind a good start by Aaron Cook, and John Lackey dominated the Red Sox while Torre Hunter and crew plated five for a 5-0 win. Respective Game Twos of both ALDS series take place this evening while the NL teams travel for their Game Threes tomorrow.

RIVERA WASTED?

So there I was, sitting at a fine local bar with some good friends waiting for Joba Chamberlain to walk out in the 9th inning of last night's Yanks/Twins game, when who should appear? The great Mariano Rivera. The score was 7-2, and Joba threw a grand total of 2 pitches in the previous inning. So why the switch? Was it to intimidate the Twins? Was it just so Mo gets some work in? However way Joe Giradi can spin it, I'd have to disagree. This was a perfect spot to let Joba work himself out. Mo seems to have a slight problem with pitching in these non save situations anyway, here letting two on. It's a nitpick to be sure, as he ended up striking out the side, but he's no spring chicken, and saving him for Friday and beyond would've been a better move.

I say this while thoroughly being satisfied with the efforts everyone put forth. Jeter led the way getting on base 4 times, once with a game tying home run! CC Sabathia pitched very well for 6 2/3 innings and ARod came through in the clutch twice, which bodes well for them exorcising their playoff demons. Hideki Matsui continues to prove what an asset he is, and the Yankee bullpen looks rock solid. It now falls on A.J. Burnett to continue what CC started last night.

In other Division Series action, Cliff Lee is proving he was well worth the trade the Phillies made for him with a complete game victory over the Rockies. Today they get Cole Hamels, but which Cole will show up? The Dodgers surprised everyone, taking it to Chris Carpenter and the Cards. Matt Kemp and Rafael Furcal led the way to a 5-3 win. The Cardinals will now have to win three in a row for my predication to come true there!

The Red Sox and Angels get it started tonight while the two NLDS series play their respective game twos.

'09 ALDS/NLDS PREDICTIONS

The Division Series are about to take off. Here's my predictions:

ALDS

Yankees take the Twins in 3. The Twins just played a grueling, emotional play-in game against the Twins. 12 innings is nothing to sneeze at, and their already questionable rotation is not in ideal order. Sure, they're hot, but the Yanks haven't been "sleeping" for that long. This is a great team, the best in baseball, with numerous weapons which includes the pitching that I believe will shut down the Twins in 3.

Angels beat the Red Sox in 5. Yes, the Sox have their number in these situations, but this is a different Angels team with an added incentive to win it for their fallen friend Nick Adenhart. The pitching is about even, with the Angels possibly boasting the deeper rotation. Boston owns the better bullpen, but the Angels might make them work. Most importantly, the Angels are going to run all over the Sox catchers. That may be the difference.

NLDS

Cardinals over the Dodgers in 4. I love Joe Torre's approach, but his team's pitching is terrible. I think Manny, Kemp, and crew will break through the Cards starters in Game 3, but that's it. Carpenter and Wainwright are the best 1-2 in the playoffs, and they're going to impose their will on the Dodgers. Let's not forget what Pujols and Holliday can do to the Dodgers' pitching. Ouch!

Rockies upset the Phillies in 5. This is my "wild card" series. Both teams have some issues, but the Phillies' bullpen woes, especially in "closer" Brad Lidge, is going to be hard to overcome. I see the Rox squeaking through. It's going to be a tough fight that leaves the winner very vulnerable in the NLCS.

PLAY BALL!

The 2009 regular season is now over, so what better time to start a new baseball blog, right? Luckily, we've got some exciting playoff baseball ahead, plus the off-season is always ripe with intrigue.

Welcome to Besball Talk, a baseball blog by a big fan and a writer of stuff and things. For awhile I wrote a BT column on my personal blog. It was on and off, but very fun to do. With this blog, I'm hoping to make it more of a regular part of my diet.

Why? Simply because I have opinions that I want to share on the game I love. Really, that's all I've got for now. The proof will be in the puddin'. I'll be curious to hear your comments.

Please note...the blog style will be tweaked as we go along. I just wanted to start it up in time for the playoffs.

Enjoy!