This year, baseball's League Championship Series is an East Coast-West Coast thang, baby: in the American League we have the Angels, who just lifted the Red Sox hex, against the Yankees, who are hoping to do the same and get that Halo monkey off their backs; meanwhile it’s déjà vu all over again in the National League: a repeat of the 2008 NLCS, with the Dodgers seeking revenge against the Phillies, who are looking to repeat last year’s triumph.
How did they get here? Well, strange days indeed: the Angels finally beat the Red Sox in the post-season; A-Rod was supremely clutch for the Yankees; the Phillies successfully played small ball; and the Dodgers did not bow before the favored opponent with two Cy Young contenders and showed off solid starting pitching of their own. Wow…who would of thunk it?
Looking forward to the World Series: The Angels and the Phillies each have a chance of joining the Red Sox as the only teams with two rings this decade (the Halos could be the first to ever knock out both AL rivals Boston AND New York in the same post-season); the Yankees just might bookend the ‘00s; and the Dodgers hope to end their 2 decade-plus championship drought. (Where have you gone, Kirk Gibson?)
So, what will it be?
As a Yankee fan, it's obvious I want my team to make it to the WS and win, but let's contemplate all the possible scenarios, shall we?
A “Freeway Series” between the Angels and Dodgers? (No rain delays or harsh weather for that one. It'll be the 20th anniversary of the '89 quake, tho.) Or the Phillies vs. Angels, with the former looking to be the only team to go back-to-back for the first and last time this decade; or the Halos padding Mike Scioscia’s record as winningest manager in franchise history? How about a face-off between each league’s most powerful offensive lineup, a Northeastern match up between Phillies and Yankees? (The Bombers battling Pedro again?!) Then of course there’s the drama filled scenario of Joe Torre—bringing along Donnie Baseball, for good measure—facing his old team, now managed by his protégée and namesake Joe Girardi; and Manny returning to face his Bronx archrivals, which he has frequently punished in the past. Man...
One thing is certain: On October 28th, Game One of the 2009 World Series will be held in either Anaheim or the Bronx. Either way, it will probably be pretty awesome.
Can’t wait.
PS: MLB has to do something about the bad umpiring we've seen this post-season. Way too many bad calls on plays and on balls and strikes. Totally unacceptable.
