B-B-B-Burner

In an effort to keep this blog from becoming the Yankee rag that many readers seem to already think it is, allow me to offer an opposing view for this week's Burner.  The Philadelphia Phillies are going to win the ;laksdpfoiashpngfl;safnpsa...  Sorry.  I meant, the Philadelphia Phillies are going to win the aoipsnf;lkwenflsanfa...  I'm so sorry.  I keep throwing up on my keyboard whenever I try to write this.  Let's try one more time.  The Philadelphia Phillies are going to win the World Series.

I'm going with the Phillies for one simple reason -- National League baseball.  I know my colleague Mr. Lugerner often likes to talk about how "inferior" the National League is and I completely understand where he's coming from.  I mean, god forbid a roster move during a game should take more thought and consideration than placing an order at McDonald's.  However, it's the National League's brand of baseball that will give them the edge.  Do you think the Phillies are intimidated in the least bit by Yankee Stadium and Yankee fans?  They've put up with their fair share of obnoxious and vulgar Met fans for years now.  Not to mention their home field is in a city that once booed Santa Claus and cheered Michael Irvin's injury.

I'd say the pitching is pretty much a wash.  Anything edge the Yankees gain by having Mariano Rivera is evened out by their lack of starting pitching.  Joe Girardi doesn't even have enough confidence to start more than three pitchers and I know all about the unstoppable and unbreakable CC Sabathia; a pitcher so great that they're considering renaming the trophy the CCY YOUNG, (here's to hoping I beat the NY Post to that one), but he can't pitch all 63 innings, so let's calm down.  The lineups are both downright scary although Phillies fans have to be intrigued by their lefty-heavy lineup and that middle school right field porch.  I'm pretty sure Ryan Howard's nose could hit a home run out to right field at Yankee Stadium -- (was that racist?)

So in my eyes the tie-breaker is the Phillies home-field advantage.  Whether they're 2nd to last in the league in sacrifice bunts, they are still better at doing it and have more practice with it than the Yankees.  The last time I remember the Yankees getting a taste of National League ball Chien-Ming Wang couldn't even make it around the bases without hurting himself and now he can't maintain an ERA lower than the amount of letters in his name.  So there are my thoughts.  Let the arguing and Yankee-blowing begin.

Dave

*And remember a vote for Dave is a vote for Bob Barker to be brought back to host "The Price is Right."*