The Divisional Series

As always, the Yankees have all the advantages going into the playoffs. As always, the question is can they take advantage. While the New Yorkers have been resting and getting their pitching lined up, the Twins have been playing meaningful games and using up their pitching staff. So, after playing a four and a half hour game, using eight pitchers and flying all night to New York, Minnesota has to send Brian Duensing to the mound against probable Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia. Heard of Duensing? Probably not. He started the season in Rochester and tonight will make his 10th major league start.

The difference in payroll between the two teams? $150 million dollars. That means the difference between what each team spends on players is greater than the total payroll of 26 MLB teams.

The Twins are one of the teams that I really admire. They can’t afford to keep the players they have, like Johann Santana and Torii Hunter, but their player development machine keeps churning out replacements. Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, Cuddyer, Span, Liriano, Baker. They’ve won five AL Central titles in the last eight years. And, this year, with former MVP Justin Morneau down with an injury, players like Jason Kubel have stepped up big time while the team gets stretch-run acquisitions Carl Pavano and Orlando Cabrera, who always seems to end up on a division winner.

But, in the end, big money beats big hearts. Yanks sweep on their way to the championship. When you spend half a billion dollars in the off-season it should buy you a winner.

And, or course, the schedule favors the Yankee fans. While their games start at 6:07 (not 6:05 or 6:10, but 6:07), us Sox fans have to wait until almost bedtime for our games to start.

Meanwhile, on the other coast, it’s the Sox and Anaheim Angels Not of Los Angeles. Pitching is pretty even. On the surface the Sox seem to have better relievers, but the imploding Sox bullpen over the last two months inspires anything but confidence. Both teams can hit. The deal-maker/deal-breaker in this series is that the Angels run every chance they get and the Red Sox can’t stop any team or any player from running.

Much has been made about the way Boston has handled the Angels in the postseason going back to 1986 (maybe Dave Henderson should throw out a first pitch). But that is basically a statistical anomaly, and statistical anomalies usually even themselves out. Sorry to say, but looking at this objectively, Angels 3-2 in this one.
In the National League, I hope the Phillies get to the World Series just because I’d rather see Pedro in there than Manny or John Smoltz or Jason Giambi.