PHILLIES VS YANKEES / MAIN STREET VS WALL STREET
Phillies deciding factor / Manager Charlie Manuel
The New York Yankees are the best team George and Harold Steinbrenner could buy, and buy it they did with a payroll of over $200 million dollars ~ $66 million more than the Mets who are second on the list and $88 million more than the Phillies who are seventh at $113 million.
Both teams are disciplined and formidable but Yankee Manager Joe Giradi is no Joe Torre and nowhere near as baseball smart as Philly Manager Charlie Manuel ~ whose Phillies have won 18 of their last 23 postseason games, two pennants and one World Series title since the end of the 2007 season.
The Yankees return to the Series for the first time since 2003 ~ they won all the marbles in 2000. The Phillies, on the other hand, are sporting a 16-4 postseason record ~ the best record over a 20 game span by a National League team in postseason history.
Here's the key match up ~ Whereas Giradi was almost manic in his decision making against the undisciplined, fumbling Angels, although fortunate enough to prevail in six games ~ Manuel was masterful in guiding his Phillies to a five game victory against the Torre led, disciplined and very formidable Los Angeles Dodgers.
But there is one more important intangible regarding Charlie Manuel ~ his players love him and sincerely want to win for him. Anyone watching the award presentation after the Phillies captured the National League Pennant against the Dodgers ~ could not help but be moved, as I certainly was, by the genuine respect and admiration his players showered on Charlie as he held the trophy and gave a short acceptance speech.
Giradi is only seven games into his first postseason as a manager and is respected but not necessarily admired by his players. His managing gaffes, particularly pitching changes, in the Angel series will be magnified 100 times in the World Series and could well be the deciding factor in the Phillies winning their 2nd straight World Series.
My prediction ~ Phillies in six, if not five games.
Allen L Roland http://blogs.salon.com/0002255/2009/10/27.html
