Go NL!
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Noting that I am not the defender of the Phillies. Stats don't always equate to wins (or your definition on "things that shed excitement"). While the Yankees are the stat champs, the Phillies are the current World Champs and will be the 2009 World Champs as well. I'll smoke a good one during the victory parade in Philadelphia after game 6. :-) :-)
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Any of the confident Philly fans care to back it up with a wager? Let's call it a 5er of Habanos?

Talk is cheap, Habanos are yummy!
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The Yankees also lead MLB in comeback wins and walk off wins this season. How is that not exciting?
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I was simply addressing your point the Phillies are a more exciting team.
If the Yankees get more hits, more runs, better batting average, better slugging average, and more wins, how can one say the Phillies are more exciting unless you have very dark glasses in a very dark room. What then constitutes excitement may be the question to ask.

If the Phillies win, they will have beaten the best team in baseball in 2009 and will tip my hat to them. I just won't insult them or any Phillies fan by thinking it could be done in 5 or 6. This is not the first two rounds of the playoffs. This winds it down to the two best. I frankly see this going 7 and ending in NY, with long sad bus ride home to Philadelphia for the Phillies.
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Meh, I'd root for a troupe of drunken monkeys if they were playing the Crankees. That's not to say that I don't like Philly ... I do ... but I R E A L L Y hope they win again. :-)
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:-):-) I guess it all boils down to what you define as exciting.
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Well, seems the Phillies will have to do it against better completely overall stats by the Yankees and against odds makers.

http://sports-odds.com/baseball/1026...edictions.html

Seems they had it pegged back in February as well.
http://www.thespread.com/sports-bett...smakers-a.html

Odds for the ALCS and NLCS.
Yankees alone have same chance as the three other teams combined!

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 13, 2009) - Using Las Vegas odds, the teams expected to make and win the World Series can be identified. RJ Bell of Pregame.com provides the most accurate possible consensus of a sporting event's true odds.

Odds to win the 2009 World Series:

New York Yankees: 1 to 1 (50% chance)
LA Dodgers: 5 to 1 (16.6% chance)
Philadelphia Phillies: 5 to 1 (16.6% chance)
Los Angeles Angels: 5 to 1 (16.6% chance)

Now we just have to live up to it.:-)
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:-)
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I could not find anything to agree with more than that statement.

All can keep highlighting this comment all you want.

The point of the stats was not to show a guaranteed win. I am no fool and have seen many underdogs win in my 50 years on this Earth.

The point of the stats was that a comment was made that the Phillies were a more "exciting" team. I highlighted stats that to me and most anyone, illustrates the Yankees far exceeding the Phillies in all categories.

So, while stats don't guarantee a win, watching a team that hit more times on base, slammed more balls out of the park, had a better slugging percentage and WON 10 more games, more walk off wins and have the best closing reliever to have played the game, it is hard to say the Phillies are more exciting. However, I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and we are often blinded into believing things that are not always as one sees them. Let's just say the Phillies in 3 as that seems to be possible in the eyes of some Phillies fans as the Yankees may not show up for game 4 and quit.
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The stats are fun to look at, but they only tell us what’s already been done and not what’s going to happen. That said, they are concrete and one can’t really argue them.

All those numbers tell me is that this is going to be one heck of a series…..I think we all agree on that!

Both teams have momentum changing power from beginning to end in their lineup. As a Phillie fan I hope the team can keep the pace they had in the NLCS clincher. The boys were scary that night.

Prediction:
- The Phils will take one game in NY.
- We’ll win two at home, but won’t be lucky enough to end it in Philly.
- The Yanks are going to win game 6 at home in convincing fashion
- There will be several lead changes through game 7, but the Phils will win
it with a bomb in the end….maybe even extra innings!!
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That's probably why I'm still a Reds fan, Carlos.:-)
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I agreed with you all the way until the part in bold.:-)
I corrected it for you.
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:-):-):-)

The funny thing is none of know the outcome.
None of us earn the money they earn. Our bills will still be the same and no additional income.
None of our lives will really change in any way, come what may, yet we get nuts over predicting who will win.
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Warning: Rambling post...

You seem to be harping on the greatness of the Yankees' regular season achievements. Yippee!

Yes, they had the best record in baseball. Yes, they were the only team to win 100 games this year. If they were in the NHL they could parade the President’s Trophy down Broadway.:-)

Winning the most regular season games didn't help the 2001 Mariners (116 wins - lost in 5 games in the LCS), or the 2004 Cardinals (105 wins - got swept in the WS), or the 2008 Angels (100 wins (only 100 win team) - lost in 4 games in the LDS).

And I'm not sure why you feel insulted as you insinuated. :-) I didn't realize this was such a touchy subject. If someone predicted the Yankees in 5 I wouldn't be insulted. I wouldn't be shocked by any outcome in this series. Seriously bro, don't take it so seriously. :-)

And predicting the Phillies in 5 does not make me a "blind fan". The Phillies certainly have their faults, their bullpen and bench topping the list. I was just making a prediction for the series. Before the playoffs started, I said the one team I didn't want to face from the NL in was the Rockies. I thought they may lose the series to them, and I thought they matched up better against everyone else in the league. If not for a very timely hit by Howard, there would have been a game 5 and everything about this post season could have been different. Oh, that's right... I'm a blind fan, I must have predicted a sweep. :-)

I have trouble keeping up with the banter, so don't take any lack of timely responses as avoidance. It also causes rambling posts like this one.

Let's all smoke a cigar tonight and sing Kumbaya. :-)
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It's entertainment. Overpaid adults playing a game. It gives us something to watch and talk about so we don't have to focus on all of the ills of society.
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Not insulted.
Used it as a "term" meaning you don't give the Yankees the time of day if one thinks they can only win one game.
As far as their greatness in 2009, I think I have covered why those stats were listed. Nothing to do with a prediction. All to do with "excitement" comment.
Again, not a fool here. The word upset exists for a reason in sports.
Just can't imagine anyone being serious about such a bold prediction.
It is all in good fun.
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Funny you mention that. I was just remembering this story.
Hope all enjoy it as much as I enjoy remembering it.

I just remembered my son's third game of the little league championship game.
They had split the first two games and were playing the third and final game.
Bases were loaded for the opposing team.
If they got one more out, my son's team would win the championship.
They had played their hearts out and were the bad news bears looking to win it all.
The coach was on third shouting advice around.
The ball was hit, ground ball to third, about 10' from the bag.
Fundamentals 101 says run over and step on the bag as the runner was late leaving second for third, you would have the forced out, and game over.
Instead, the coach yells at the third baseman to throw to home. He does. He puts the ball on top of the batting cage and it gets stuck.
Two runs come in. My son's team loses the game.

Morals learned:
1 - the coach was an ahole who knew little about baseball.
2 - kids will cry when they lose and they did.
3 - my son was not crying. Asked me to buy him a soda and a hot dog. Told me it was just a game and couldn't understand why cry over something already done.

Boy did I learn from my kid that day. So while a die hard Yankees fan, if they win, we celebrate. If they lose, not much will have changed in my life and they instead have seen a whole lot of money I can only dream of, to play a game.
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As expected.:-)


Now we just have to keep our eyes on the rain headed our way and hope we can get it all started on Wednesday.
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Damn Carlos, you type fast.
THat's all I have to say ATM. :-)
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