Now Warming Up…MLB!

Let's start with the Opener.

***The old Trolley Dodgers and the New York Yankees meet in the 2024 World Series, matching up for the 12th time for the Fall Classic. And, these two teams have had some classic matchups.The Yankees have won 8 of the 11 matchups already, but the last one was in 1981 and the first one was in 1941. Back in ’41, it was the Yanks vs. “Dem Bums” from Brooklyn. In 1956, Don Larsen threw the legendary perfect game #5 en route to the WS Championship. In 1977, Tommy Lasorda and Billy Martin, the two managers who got into a fistfight while playing for their respective teams in 1956 World Series, now managed against each other where Reggie Jackson became “Mr. October” with his three home runs in Game 6. I can still hear the tapestry of profanity from Lasorda when he was asked what he thought of Reggie’s performance in the game.

Now to the Set Up Man.

*** Matching these two teams up, there is an overabundance of firepower from these two offenses.  In the Championship Series’, both teams had their star step up (Judge, Soto, Ohtani, Betts).  But their wins were on the backs of their second tier of players.  Andy Pages and NLCS MVP Tommy Edman made the Mets pay anytime they pitched around the middle of the lineup. The Yanks rode a resurgent Giancarlo Stanton, the ALCS MVP, to dispatch the Guardians.  Perhaps Cleveland and the NY Mets were overwhelmed, or tired, or a combination of the two, but this World Series matchup seemed inevitable watching those series.  The Guardians never seemed to get it going against the Yanks, and the Mets walked the park every night and had an inconsistent offense.  The Mets did find a way to win two games, even though L.A. manager, Dave Roberts, managed a few of those games with a few bullpen games and let his starter go a little longer than usual for a deep postseason series.  Nonetheless, a classic Yankees vs. Dodgers matchup begins this week.

Now the Closer.

***So, who wins it all?  Gerrit Cole will win a game or two, but New York’s pitching will have trouble against this stacked Dodger lineup.  Ohtani kicks it into a different gear with men on base, and Mookie Betts is as hot a hitter there is in the postseason.  The Yankees can be pitched to, and around, when necessary.  Soto will not see good pitches with men on, and possibly the same for Judge. I am not confident in the rest of that lineup, as Jazz Chisolm has yet to show his postseason worth. The Dodger bullpen will win this series for Los Angeles and Ohtani will have a big series. I think it is the Dodgers in six games.  What do you think?

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” – Babe Ruth