Phils vs. Yanks, Good vs. Evil: Five Burning World Series Questions - Russakoff Rules - Comcast.net Sports

By Lee Russakoff

A Yankees fan, fellow Comcast.net Sports Editor Jordan Raanan, comes to my blog space and tries to debate his side of the World Series? He never had a chance.

It’s 1-1 after two games. How are you feeling?

Russakoff Rules: I'm feeling pretty good. Well, as good as a Philly fan ever can feel.

Philly fans of my generation are forever scarred by those 100 seasons of losing and every playoff loss brings flashbacks of that futility. (I swear, as Ryan Howard struck out for the 18th time last night, I could see the Joe Carter home run again, feel the Scott Stevens hit on Lindros, taste Donovan McNabb's Super Bowl puke.)

In my heart of hearts, I believe the '08 title wiped out the Philly curse, but when you've lived a life of pain, it's hard to adjust when you finally find something good.

Philly has battered woman syndrome. And a loss like that still makes us flinch.

That said, the Phightins are 0-4 in their last four Game 2s and 12-0 in every other playoff game since last year's Dodgers series.

So I'm feeling pretty good, hoping the Phils can get to Pettitte and Hamels can man-up just once this year like he did last October.

Jordan Rules: Taste McNabb’s puke? I just threw up in my own mouth.

It’s funny though that you talk about flashbacks. When A-Rod struck out for the 36th time this series last night, it reminded me of his postseason career pre-’09. Then reality took over.

I remembered the 10,000 clutch plays and hits Jeter’s had in his postseason career, the countless big-game pitching performances Andy Pettitte’s provided and all the times Mariano Rivera has made the Matt Stairses of the world look foolish.

(BTW: When the Associated Press labels your designated hitter ‘light-hitting,’ that’s never good. Try to bring someone who hit above .200 for Games 6 and 7.)

Anyway, I’m feeling good . I have a bigger smile on my face than Pedro even after knowing he was about to lose another game to the Yankees. Just get the series back to New York and give me A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia with the season on the line. Surely, $243 million can win you a World Series. Right?

What’s up with Yankee Stadium being so lame? Isn’t this the World Series?

Jordan Rules: It’s an embarrassment. I know. There use to be a time (’01 Series, ’03 ALCS) when the Stadium would dwarf what is going to happen at Citizens Bank Park this weekend.

Now, it’s really pathetic. A place filled with 30,000 fans who never followed baseball before the Bank opened is now a better baseball atmosphere than the Bronx. What a shame! George Steinbrenner is rolling over in his nursing home.

I was at Yankee Stadium in ’03 when Pedro Martinez allowed a huge hit to Hideki Matsui (sound familiar?) and the Red Sox blew it. The place was shaking. Now it’s filled with all these corporate yuppies who think Jay-Z and Alicia Keys are on the Yankees.

At least the Bleacher Creatures are still there, and they themselves heckle the three-piece stiffs that stuff those suites and box seats. Finally, something is life is sacred. Philly can’t match the Bleacher Creatures. 

Russakoff Rules: Funny you mention the Bleacher Creatures. I was sitting next to Filip Bondy who writes the Bleacher Creature feature for the New York Daily News. Nice guy. He asked about you.

Look, the bleachers are awesome. No debate. Roll call is my favorite tradition in baseball. I wish Philly had a tradition like that. Instead we have to steal one, throwing opposing HR balls back. Bleh.

Phils phans were building a nice one of our own at the Vet with the player fan clubs. But when the team moved to the new digs, the Wolf Pack, Padilla's Flotilla, Myers' Squires and Person's People got pushed aside for higher-paying customers.

So I get where your frustration is coming from but I'm not sure it's an excuse. Real Phillies fans have been priced out of the Bank, too.

I guess what it boils down to is: Our rich people at least pretend to care when they show up for playoff games.  

What’s the temperature gauge with Cole Hamels on the hill for the Phillies in Game 3?

Russakoff Rules: I think it's supposed to be like 73 degrees, but that's not what you're asking, is it?

The problem with Cole right now is obvious. He's down to two pitches, and one of them -- his fastball -- he can't locate. Physically, it’s similar to the problems Lidge has had all year.

Mentally however, Cole, Heidi and the two random kids in their bed are in a league of their own. If I were going to play amateur psychologist, I'd say Hamels is trying too hard to recreate the touch he had in 2008 rather than pitching in the moment in 2009.

So where does that leave us on Saturday night? Who knows? Any Phillies fan that can confidently tell you which Cole Hamels is going to show up in Game 3 also probably has a “system” figured out to beat Vegas.

Cole has gotten a pass in this town based on his '08 heroics, despite his erratic play. That pass expires Saturday night at 7:57 pm ET.

It's time to stop eating off last year's crop.

Jordan Rules: Hearing your lack of confidence in Hamels makes me wonder why you’re so optimistic for the three games at Citizens Bank Park. It’s likely Hamels vs. the ever-reliable Pettitte in the first game, CC vs. Heavy B in the second and Lee against whoever in the third. That’s advantage Yankees in two of the three games. Joe Girardi can sleep well on that.

Plus, the Yankees surely welcome Hamels and his specialty pitch: the 1-2 fastball down the gut that gets deposited into the stands.

What worries you as the series shifts to Philadelphia?

Jordan Rules: After nine games in Boston every season – where hating the Yankees is more fashionable than those ridiculous oversized sunglasses – Philadelphia is like a vacation to St. Thomas minus the beaches, nice weather, clean streets and low murder rate.

These aren’t the Rays coming to town. The Yankees aren’t going to shiver at the thought of some 350-pound guy who never heard of Mariano Rivera before this year throw them off their game.

(Quick Aside: I had a friend who was at a Yankees-Phillies game several years back wearing his Rivera jersey. After the game, some 350-pound drunk Phils fan heckled him with a ‘Nice game Riviera.’ The guy was serious. He had never heard of the greatest closer of all-time. He must not have watched playoff baseball since ’93.)

Anyway, crowd noise is inconsequential, unless you’re A-Rod. But then again, the home fans didn’t help him either.

Russakoff Rules: Look who's full of false bravado after just one win. Check out the Phillies record at home over the past two postseasons. Still so brazen?

How about the Yankees need to adjust to an NL lineup?  Do you lose Matsui?  Think that's significant at all?

How about that potent Swisher-Hairston platoon? Is that what $200 million buys you these days?

I know you're excited that Vicente Padilla, I mean A.J. Burnett, pitched one good game. But while you're in a fervor over the name on the front of the jersey and your big bad Bombers, I'm looking at the names on the back of the jerseys and you can color me unimpressed.

This park fits this team. Our pitchers know how to pitch here. Our lineup is comfortable without a DH.

Advantage Phillies.  

Pitching on three days’ rest or not? Who, when and why or why not?

Russakoff Rules: Well, CC, obviously, yes. The Yanks have already invested in Sabathia throwing three World Series games. That's not gonna change.

Burnett? Pettitte? I don't know... What other option do you have? Gaudin?  The Yankees are in a pickle here. They've almost already committed to this three-man rotation. It's hard to tell a pitcher, “Hey, we don't trust you in the ALCS, but go out there and get us Game 5 of the World Series.”

So for the Yanks, I say yes on all fronts.

The Phillies aren't in that spot. Blanton will start Game 4 and Lee will pitch Game 5 on full rest.

Of course, that does mean Lee can't pitch Game 7.

But who knows if this thing is going 7?  And do you really want to send Lee out there three times in eight days? He isn't built like Sabathia, and he's not used to pitching on short rest like CC is.

I know I'm going against conventional wisdom here, but if I'm Charlie, I don't throw anyone on short rest. Hamels in 3. Blanton in 4 Lee in 5. Pedro in 6. And Hamels in 7. Now that he’s decided to go to a four-man rotation, Charlie shouldn’t change his mind if Hamels get’s lit up in Game 3 and switch to Lee for Games 4 and 7.

Jordan Rules: CC’s obviously going on three days’ rest so he can go 1,4 and 7. That’s a no-brainer. Even Girardi can figure that one out.

As long as the series can’t end in Game 5, throw Gaudin out there and hope for the best. Hey, Girardi already does that every game his starters don’t go at least seven innings. It’s definitely best to have a fully rested Burnett in Game 6. The Yankees don’t want that guy who pitched Game 2 to pull a Padilla. The best chance for that is to have him stay with his routine.  

As for the Phillies, they can do what they want, but give me Hamels Game 7 at Yankee Stadium and I’m pretty positive The Boss will make sure there is a ring made for Charlie Manuel.

Email me at russakoffrules@comcast.net; follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/russakoffrules.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.


Message Edited by ComcastSports on 10-30-2009 05:21 PM