World Series Preview

Who would have guessed that the World Series would come down to the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies?

The Rays have turned things around from the previous decade of losing and all of the young talent is finally starting to take over.

The Phillies were led into the playoffs by the very guy that they benched early in the year. I am, of course, talking about MVP candidate Ryan Howard.

So how does a matchup of the unlikely opponents breakdown?

When you look at the hitting for each team, the first thought is that the Phillies have the edge. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell provide all the power needed and Shane Victorino Jimmy Rollins can set the table.

The Rays counter with Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and BJ Upton for power, while Carl Crawford provides the speed on the bases. Willy Aybar could be the deciding factor as he’s batting .367 this postseason.

Talent wise, the 2 teams look similar but give a slight edge to the Rays based on the lack of consistency from Ryan Howard and the week long layoff that may prevent the Phillies from getting off to a good start.

When you glance at the pitching staffs, Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge certainly jump off the page. I could argue that beyond that, the Phillies are pretty thin.

The Rays will line up Scott Kazmir in Game 1, who is the man responsible for their home field advantage courtesy of his victory in the All-Star Game. James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine will follow Kazmir. Matt Garza will be a factor in the World Series after the offseason trade from the Minnesota Twins. David Price may have found his spot as the closer for the series.

Tampa gets the edge on pitching based on Kazmir, Garza and the wild card Price.

Defense is what Tampa Bay prided itself on all year and when someone was injured, the next guy stepped in and played just as well. That being said, they looked very shaky in the ALCS. Game 5 should have been headed to extra innings as Longoria made a great backhanded stop on Kevin Youkilis, but the throw was short and bounced into the stands. The next batter delivered a hit and the series headed back to the Trop.

The Phillies field a solid defensive unit and they have committed four errors during postseason play. Evan Longoria has 3. Rollins and Utley are solid up the middle, but it remains to be seen who gets the start at 3^rd base.

Based on the sloppy play of Tampa in the ALCS, the defensive edge goes to Philadelphia.

Other factors in this series are home field advantage and the incredible story that the Rays are writing. It’s hard to imagine that Tampa Bay will not be ready to go when the first pitch is thrown. They will have their wild fans banging on the cowbells and they can’t afford to disappoint. They are a young team, but showed a lot of heart against Boston.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be crowned World Series Champions after Game 6.

Week 16 Review in The All American Home Run Derby

Dilldocks continues to occupy our top spot after claiming the 2nd Quarter prize. 283 homeruns is good enough to lead our game, but just by 1 homerun. AllorNothin is well within striking distance with a total of 282 homeruns. #1Philsfan remains in the thick of things with 278 HR. Our 4th place team is whoopers and Mr. Papa Georgio holds down the 5th spot.Our player break down is as follows…1 player with 29 homeruns1 player with 27 homeruns2 players with 25 homeruns1 player with 24 homeruns3 players with 23 homeruns4 players with 22 homeruns2 players with 21 homeruns2 players with 20 homeruns4 players with 19 homeruns5 players with 18 homeruns5 players with 17 homeruns3 players with 16 homeruns8 players with 15 homeruns4 players with 14 homeruns6 players with 13 homeruns5 players with 12 homeruns4 players with 11 homeruns4 players with 10 homeruns5 players with 9 homeruns3 players with 8 homeruns6 players with 7 homeruns5 players with 6 homeruns3 players with 4 homeruns2 players with 3 homeruns3 players with 2 homeruns3 players have failed to go deepRyan Howard still leads the league with 29 homeruns and Adam Dunn is keeping pace with 27 homeruns. Pat Burrell and Chase Utley sit 4 homeruns off the lead while Dan Uggla is 5 back.We have 11 other players over 20 HR including Hanley Ramirez with 23 HR, Rick Ankiel with 22 HR and Josh Hamilton with 21 HR.There are 25 players between 15 and 19 HR. A few of these guys are Derrek Lee and Corey Hart with 15, Miguel Cabrera and Evan Longoria with 17 and Albert Pujols with 18.We have 23 players in the 10-14 HR group. Nick Markakis and Garrett Atkins lead with way with 14 homeruns each. David Ortiz sits at 13 and looks to return this week and add to that total. Hunter Pence and Torii Hunter each have 12 HR while Adam LaRoche and Alex Gordon have 11.Thirty players have less than 10 homeruns. Ryan Zimmerman has 8 homeruns and should return this week and add to that number. B.J. Upton sits on 6 and has been moved down in the order. Jimmy Rollins is also stuck on 6 and hopes for a big 2nd half. Delmon Young has now hit 4 HR and that’s practically on fire for him. Andruw Jones continues to be a huge bust with just 2 homeruns.

It's Show Time Folks!

The 2008 Home Run Derby is just around the corner and we finally have our 8 confirmed participants. After a couple weeks of rumors and speculation, the list has been narrowed down to an exciting group of this year’s biggest sluggers.Chase UtleyHeight: 6-1Weight: 200Age: 29HR Total to date: 25Position: Second BaseBats: LeftDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: The Phillies 2nd baseman is a line drive hitter who has show his HR power in streaks this year. He’s had 5 streaks of 9 or more games with no homeruns and he’s currently in a downswing right now. Does that mean he could get shut out or is he about to break out?Dan UgglaHeight: 5-11Weight: 200Age: 28HR Total to date: 23Position: Second BaseBats: RightDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Uggla has been a surprise this year, as he’s actually gotten better with the absence of Miguel Cabrera. He’s only played 3 games since injury his ankle and he hasn’t homered since June 20th, so we’ll see if he’s rusty.Lance BerkmanHeight: 6-1Weight: 220Age: 32HR Total to date: 22Position: First BaseBats: SwitchDerby Experience: 8th in 2002(1 HR), 2nd in 2004(21 HR), 6th in 2006(3 HR)Outlook: Berkman is by far the most experienced slugger in the group. This will be his 4th Home Run Derby and that will prove to be invaluable Monday when it comes time to swing for the fences.Grady SizemoreHeight: 6-2Weight: 200Age: 25HR Total to date: 23Position: Center FieldBats: LeftDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Sizemore was sitting at just 1 HR after his first 20 games and no one thought that he’d wind up in the Derby. He’s now hit 22 HR in his last 70 games and hopes to ride that hot streak to a Home Run Derby Title.Josh HamiltonHeight: 6-4Weight: 235 Age: 27HR Total to date: 21Position: Center FieldBats: LeftDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Hamilton is trying to recover from an 18-game homer less streak. He recently hit homeruns in back to back games and appears ready to make a serious run at the title. The right center gap being 14 feet shorter than left center gives him a very good chance to do so. Ryan BraunHeight: 6-1Weight: 201 Age: 24HR Total to date: 23Position: Left FieldBats: RightDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Braun burst onto the scene last year with 34 HR in a shortened season. He’s trying to make a run at 50 HR this year and that’s exactly the type of power that could help him win this event.Evan LongoriaHeight: 6-2Weight: 210Age: 22HR Total to date: 16Position: Third BaseBats: RightDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Longoria is the youngest of the Home Run Derby participants. We’re about to see if youth will be on his side or if the nerves of being in the spotlight at Yankee Stadium will prove to be too much to handle.Justin MorneauHeight: 6-4Weight: 230 Age: 27HR Total to date: 14Position: First BaseBats: LeftDerby Experience: 5th in 2007(4 HR)Outlook: Morneau is the only player other than Berkman to have Home Run Derby experience. He also has the big body needed to withstand the beating that a contest like this puts on your body.

The Power of "4"

The Power of “4”
When Alfonso Soriano hit 39 HR in 2002, he provided power numbers from a 2nd baseman, which hadn’t been seen in quite awhile. Soriano was eventually moved into the outfield, once again leaving a power void in the middle infield.
The resurgence of the power hitting 2nd baseman has begun and four players on pace for great years. Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, Brandon Phillips and Ian Kinsler are all on track to finish with 25+ HR and 90+ RBI, with Utley and Uggla aiming higher.
Brandon Phillips has 13 HR and 43 RBI. He has the lowest RBI total of the group, but finished out last year with 94 RBI to go along with 30 HR. His .271 average is also the lowest of the four players mentioned but he’s in a lineup with Griffey, Dunn, Votto and Bruce. Look for him to get hot after the break.
Ian Kinsler has the lowest HR total of the group with 12, but he boasts the highest batting average, hitting .305 with 47 RBI. It’s Kinsler’s run total that has been the most impressive. He’s rounded the bases 64 times, which is good for 2nd best in the league.
Chase Utley certainly isn’t a surprise anymore, but his power seems to be even better than previous seasons. He’s led the MLB in homeruns for the majority of the year and currently sits in 2nd with 22 bombs. He’s also 4th in the MLB in RBI with 63. His .291 average and 57 runs make him a very well rounded player.
Dan Uggla has become the blue print for a power hitting 2nd baseman this year. His hot streak of late has allowed him to surpass Utley and take the MLB lead in HR with 23. He’s 9th in the league with 57 RBI and has 57 runs to go with his .294 average.
The Reds and Rangers aren’t likely to be in contention when the playoffs roll around, but look for Utley and Uggla to battle it out for the NL East title. Both the Phillies and Marlins know that the added bonus of having a power hitting 2nd baseman could provide just the boost needed to make a postseason run.

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