World Series Breakdown

The 2009 Fall Classic is upon us, and it has the potential to be one of the most exciting World Series of all time. On one side, you have the New York Yankees, that storied franchise looking for their twenty-seventh championship. On the other side, there's the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending world champions. The Yankees are known for their murderer's row of a lineup, but the Phillies are the only team in baseball that can match the Yankees in offensive firepower. These two teams are evenly matched. The Yankees have CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, and Derek Jeter. The Phillies have Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins. As we get ready to commence the series, I am completely uncertain of which team to pick. Picking a winner in this series requires a position-by-position breakdown. With no further ado, here it is:


1B-Mark Teixiera vs. Ryan Howard


If this comparison would have taken place at the end of the regular season, it would have been a wash. But after the incredible performance of Ryan Howard during this postseason, the Philadelphia slugger gets the edge here. Teixiera is indeed a great player, a legitimate AL MVP candidate who has come up clutch at times during this postseason. However, Mr. Howard has been absolutely unstoppable at the plate as of late. Howard is on a complete roll right now, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Teixiera is a better defensive first baseman, but Howard wins this battle.


EDGE: Phillies


2B- Robinson Cano vs. Chase Utley


Utley wins this battle hands down. Utley is an undeniably better hitter, and even after his shaky defensive performance in the NLCS, he is still a better second baseman. Cano is a solid player and a more-than-competent double play partner to Derek Jeter. But there is no doubt: Utley wins this battle.


EDGE: Phillies


3B-Alex Rodriguez vs. Pedro Feliz


Pedro Feliz is a terrific player. He was a good San Francisco Giant for many years, and for that I am eternally grateful. But let's get real. A-Rod is A-Rod, and during these playoffs he has established himself as a clutch player. No contest here.


EDGE: Yankees


SS-Derek Jeter vs. Jimmy Rollins


This is an extraordinarily difficult call to make. I have the ultimate respect for Jimmy Rollins, an elite shortstop and a strong leader for Charlie Manuel's team. However, after much deliberation, I'm going to give this to Jeter. The Yankees captain is a consummate professional, one of the classiest athletes in all of sports. But as much as we would like to think otherwise, games aren't won based on a player's classiness. Jeter continues to perform at a shockingly high level, offensively and defensively, and he has inherited Reggie Jackson's nickname for a reason. Jeter truly is the new Mr. October.


EDGE: Yankees


OUTFIELD- Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, and Nick Swisher vs. Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, and Jayson Werth


Offensively, it's pretty much a wash. But the Phillies get the edge here because of defense. Damon, Cabrera, and Swisher have fared well this postseason, but based on their shaky regular season, they remain a defensive liability. No such liability exists with Ibanez, Victorino, and Werth.


EDGE: Phillies


STARTING PITCHING- CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettite, and Chad Gaudin vs. Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels, and J.A. Happ

Both teams have formidable aces. Sabathia and Lee have been fantastic this postseason, and look for their reliability to continue. Many people have cried foul over Charlie Manuel's decision to start Pedro Martinez over Cole Hamels in Game 2, but I like the decision. It was just one game, but Pedro was vintage Pedro in his start against the Dodgers in the NLCS. I give Pedro the slight advantage over Burnett in Game 2, simply because Burnett is so darn inconsistent. On paper, it would seem that Cole Hamels is the better bet than Andy Pettite, but in the postseason I would rather have Pettite take the hill, due to his veteran savvy and vast wealth of playoff experience. J.A. Happ, meanwhile, is a far better pitcher than Chad Gaudin. Ladies and gentleman, this category is just too close to call, but since Sabathia will be pitching at Yankee Stadium in Game 1 and possibly Game 7, I'll call it ever so slightly for New York.

EDGE: Yankees

BULLPEN:

The Philadelphia bullpen was all over the place in the regular season, but they have been stalwart in the postseason. Guys like Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson were mostly reliable against the Rockies and Dodgers, and Brad Lidge has transformed into the Brad Lidge of old after a disastrous regular season. But this one goes to the Yankees for one reason: Mariano Rivera. You can talk all you want about the unpredictability of Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, but all that is moot. If the powerful Yankees lineup gives Rivera a lead, the game is over. Period.

EDGE: Yankees

MANAGER- Joe Girardi vs. Charlie Manuel

Sure, Girardi may have been guilty of overmanaging against the Angels in the ALCS, but he is a good manager who deserves a ton of credit for the exemplary job he has done this season. With this being said, Charlie Manuel is the superior skipper. Manuel notoriously manages from his gut, and that is a beautiful thing. Too many managers play the percentage game in baseball, but Manuel refreshingly lets his instincts guide his decision-making. Thus far, it has worked.

EDGE: Phillies

So there you have it. By my calculations, it is a 4-4 tie. Yup, this is going to be an awesomely competitive series.

PREDICTION: Yankees in 7