The 2009 World Series is set to begin on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. Share your thoughts on the games right here on this link throughout the series. We'll be posting comments after every game.
The drive for #27 continues ...
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As we prepare to watch the World Series, the one thing that has surprised me is a lack of respect from the Philadelphia fans. They really seem to think they are simply going to kick the Yankees ass. I have never been this way when the Yankees have played in the World Series. No matter how much I disliked them, I have always respected the opponent. I certainly thought the Braves pitching could be a problem in '96 and '99, and there were things about the Padres in '98 and the Mets in 2000 that had me thinking that anything could happen in the World Series and were cause for concern. Everybody knew the pitching of Arizona was going to be a problem in 2001, and ultimately that's what won them the series. The most confident I may have ever been was in 2003 with the Marlins, but I really think the ALCS wore the Yanks out that year. That was, in some ways, the real World Series.
I have not paid much attention to the Phillies since the early '80s, but I have been impressed with what I have seen. They have an American League style lineup with some great power, and throughout the seven World Series in which the Yankees have played over the past 13 years, this Philly team is probably the best offensive team they have faced. Their lefties will also enjoy Yankee Stadium. And since the Phils are the World Champs, the Yanks have no advantage when it comes to experience. In fact, they probably have more players with World Series experience than they Yankees. I do not think they will be rattled by playing in big games at Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees advantage is starting pitching and the bullpen. I like CC, AJ and Andy better than their starting three, as well as the middle of the bullpen. And of course, we have Mo.
Of all of the cities the Yankees have played in the World Series since 1996, Philadelphia is the one I dislike the most, simply because of some of there fans. For that reason alone, I'd love to win this one. But I'm also aware that it is a much bigger deal to Philadelphia than New York. Philly seems to have some sort of chip on its shoulder regarding New York, while New York simply pays them no attention. A Philly fan called into WFAN today and started shouting all of this nonsense, and Francesa - who has nothing but great things to say about the Phillies team - simply dismissed him and said the city was a place of no consequence to New Yorkers. He said something like, "We are not up here vying for your attention." And I think that's really what irks the Philly fans. They jump up and down, waving to be noticed, but you simply don't find anything about them that's very interesting.
As I kid, I actually used to like some of the Phillies, especially Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt. But I still hope to win this series very much, and I think the Yankees will. And I'm not going to talk like a Philly fool and expect it to be easy. It may take six or seven games, and as we all know, this is baseball and the ball can bounce in funny ways. Nothing surprises me in MLB. Yanks could also sweep, or get swept. For Philly, beating the Yankees in the World Series would be the ultimate prize. For Yankee fans, beating the Red Sox in the ALCS was the ultimate prize, which they did in 1999 and 2003 and lost in 2004. And the holy grail for the Yankees with a World Series win? That already happened as well: the 2000 Subway Series. Sorry Philly fans, but losing to the Mets - not to you - would have been the worst thing, ever. I've been saying this for years.
Prediction? A real battle. Lots of home runs, leads changing back and forth between games and some tense moments. Phils will bring it hard. Ultimately, however, Jeter leads the team to victory. CC wins two - maybe three - and A-Rod stays hot. And guys like Cano, Swisher and Damon all play a role in some of the wins.
Parade down Broadway, not Broad Street.
Ring #27 for the Yanks and ring #7 for The Boss. - Alan
STORY FROM NEW YORK POST ON NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA
Frillies are coming to town!
Their fans are second-rate and so is their city
By RICH CALDER, ERIN CALABRESE and JEREMY OLSHAN
Yankees fans have a message for the Phillies and their hometown: This ain't Rocky, and the underdog won't win!
"The Yankees are going to make Philly cream cheese out of them," a confident Tommy Bayiokos, 44, predicted yesterday in Midtown.
"Philly fans are a bunch of whiners and should learn how to dress. They should try reading GQ."
Living up to their second-class billing going into the start of the Fall Classic tomorrow, the Phils arrived in New York yesterday -- by train.
The less-than-grand entrance triggered a flood of invective from the Yankee faithful.
"Bleacher Bums get a bad rap," said Tanner McLoud, 42, of Long Island. "But if you've ever been to the old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, you'd realize just how much worse Phillies fans are.
"You can't go to a game without getting booze thrown at you!"
Gotham has been regularly beating the pants off Philly since overtaking the one-horse town as the nation's economic capital in the early 19th century.
Even Benjamin Franklin, Philly's patron saint, has been described as "the father of all the Yankees."
Although Philadelphia doesn't draw the same ire among New Yorkers as Boston or Los Angeles, it's mostly because Gothamites consider the city across the Ben Franklin Bridge pretty pathetic, says Bleacher Creature Michael Stewart.
"I don't have hate for Philly exactly -- they are like our redheaded stepchild," he said.
"It's like a nothing city. It's just insignificant in comparison to New York."
Another Yankee fan, Laura Nidelle, 24, insists the Yuengling-slinging rubes in Philly are uncultured and uninteresting -- and go to bed too early.
"I briefly lived in Philadelphia and I couldn't wait to get out," the Brooklyn writer said. "Their fans are whiners, the food is lousy and there is nothing to do.
"New York is all about being on top, with no excuses -- just like the Yankees."
And don't get us started on the cuisine.
Consider Philadelphia's most famous export - other than Will Smith: overcooked minced-meat sand wiches doused in Cheez Whiz.
"The big meal there is a steak with cheese and onions on a hero, but they don't even call it a hero. It's a hoagie. What the hell is a hoagie?" said Ron Montclane, 26.
As far as sports go, sure, the Phillies have won two World Series championships compared with the Yankees' 26, but far sadder is that no one from Philly cares much.
"Their most famous athlete is Rocky, and he's fictional," sneered Alex Rusu, 23, a building superintendent in Gramercy.
And don't even try to compare the iconic House That Ruth Built with the long-gone Veterans Stadium.
"Their stadium had a jail cell for rowdy fans because they like throwing stuff at people," said Laura Hall, 35, of The Bronx.
The Phillies' current home, Citizens Bank Park, is jail-free, but the fans are still thugs, Bombers faithful said.
i have drawn the line with all phillies fans.i have no problem with the this team.most of them played in moosic.6 yanks on the roster also played in moosic.this is one of the
many reasons this series is one for the ages in our region.as i have stated in the past i am personally surrounded by phillies/eagle fans.
i agree with alan about the mets but this is bigger for me as a fan....and a lifetime of bragging rights.lets play error free ball and the wins will come.the phillies are famous for being the 1st mlb team with 10,000 losses.lets make it 10,004!
Pedro is starting Game 2 in New York. Fun, fun, fun ...
In fainess to the Phils, I think it's kind of cool that they took the train into NYC. That's old-school baseball. - Alan
I'm snapping out....can't wait...ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! Son will rule...This is a different team then they saw earlier this year!
Rollins went on national TV and said the Phils will win in five. Sometimes, I really miss having Roger Clemens on the mound.
Lonnie, as Dallas Cowboys fans, we are also aware of Philly apathy. Eagles fans hate the Cowboys so much they seem to work themselves into a frenzy over them, yet in Dallas, Philly is paid no attention. It's always more about the Redskins, even if they are lousy. Maybe it's because the Redskins, Cowboys and Giants have all won Super Bowls that they seem to get more jacked up for one another, while Philly seems to get jacked up for all three, especially New York and Dallas, yet are paid little attention to by them. I don't know, and I really don't care. Trying to figure out how Philly fans think is of no interest to me. They bring out the worst in me and have even led to me writing a few jokes:
1) Question: Two Eagles fans are dropped off the top of the William Penn building or whatever it's called at the exact same time. Which one hits the ground first?
Answer: Who cares?
2) Question: What did Charles Darwin say when he attended an Eagles game?
Answer: "See, I told ya."
We were at the Michael Irvin game in '99. We saw the animals cheer as an ambulance was brought to the field, a man's neck was immobilized, and even players on the Eagle team were knelt in prayer alongside Cowboys players. My hate for them has never been about the players. It's about the fans. Do you think that cheer would have happened in New York, Dallas or Washington if it had been Westbrook? No way, never. Yankee fans just gave a nice ovation to a Red Sox pitcher a few weeks ago when it looked like he was hurt badly but was able to walk off the field on his own. And despite my jokes, I wish no one any harm. I really don't know if some of those drunken idiots would say the same. At one point, they had to have a magistrate right inside The Vet to handle all of the arrests.
The place is only two hours from here, and I've been there only twice in three years: once to see Paul Stanley, and once to see KISS. I would have preferred to go to NYC, but Philly is simply easier to get in and out of and it's much easier to get press tickets. And when I am there, I often feel like a fish out of water. And that's because I am. I don't give a shit about the Eagles or overrated cheesesteaks and I do not applaud possible paralysis. I believe in "the worthy opponent" and I see that in the Phillies. Great baseball team. And guys like Rollins and Howard really seem like good dudes.
Hate SOME of the fans - not all of them, like some of our good friends and family - and I do not hate the team.
It should be a great World Series. - Mel
P.S - Subway Series was still WAY bigger to me. Would have been pretty devastated to lose that one, but I'm always a total New York guy at heart. You're right though ... this one is pretty huge in NEPA. But believe it or not, I just don't really know that many diehard Phillies fans.
Game 1 is huge. CC must win. A win tonight means all the Yanks have to do is win 1 of 3 in Philly to guaratee the series comes back to the Bronx.
I hope that place is LOUD tonight!
I want a beatdown!
Texiera will get hot. A-Rod wll get some big hits. Jeter will hit .350 and lead the way.
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