As I have stated many times this season it sure is a great time to be a Phillies Phan! With the team capturing thier second consecutive National League pennant and now set to participate in the MLB “World” Series against the most storied franchise agrueably in all of sports it is time to predict the outcome.
The Yankees have won 26 “world” series titles and the Phillies have won all of two! Facts tell us that one of the 26 titles came at the hands of the Fightins in 1950 against a team led by Richie Ashburn. However, this Phillies team is far from the 1950 version, this crew is a dominant one and in fact many think they are on the verge of a dynasty of winning prowess. Great time to be a Phillies Phan!
I think that C.C. Sabbathia is the biggest obstacle, both figuratively and physically!, that the Fightins face in this series. Sabbathia will throw three times if the series goes seven games and he has dominated our hottest hitter Ryan Howard in past matchups. If the Fightins are to beat him then the right handed bats have to step up big time, we know that the can as Jayson Werth, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Pedro Feliz, and Carlos Ruiz have been able to do so repeatedly. I think the key to game one will be an unsung hero Ben Francisco who will start in left field with Raul Ibanez shifting to the DH role. I think Francisco will have a big game and the Fightins will sneak a win behind Cliff Lee.
Pedro Martinez takes the hill in game two against A.J. Burnett. Burnett has been hot and cold in his past endeavors against the Fightins but he has never faced a lineup of Phillies like the present one. I think the Phillies smoke Burnett and surprise New York by also winning game two behind a ramped up Pedro. Game three is Cole Hamels turn to step it up again as he goes against Andy Petite. I am picking the Fightins to prevail in this one also and silence the New York faithful with a dominating 3 games to zero lead in the series.
Game four will force the return of Sabbathia to the hill and I think he will prevail with a win but in Game Five behind Cliff Lee again I think the Phillies bring home a second straight world series title! It will set the stage for this team to be compared to those in history who have strung sustained success and titles……………… Great time indeed to be a Phillies Phan!
Chatter
I know it is far from time to be looking into next season but what if the Phillies somehow made another run at Doc Halladay in the offseason……….how sweet would this team be with Lee, Halladay, Hamels, Blanton and Martinez as a 2010 rotation! Would we see a threepeat ?

