The World Series isn’t so global after all.
Beginning tonight, the reigning-champion Philadelphia Phillies travel north on I-95 to take on the New York Yankees. The teams reside so close, pop the movie “Chairman of the Board” — an underrated comedy starring Carrot Top, if there ever was one — into your portable DVD player and by the time the credits roll, you’ll be pulling into your parking spot.
Despite the proximity, this World Series is about more than just two passionate group of fans divided by the state of New Jersey. It’s a match-up between teams that should, and deserve to, be playing one another.
The Phillies have won the NL East in back-to-back-to-back seasons. Not since the Atlanta Braves of the early 90s have we seen such dominance by a team in that division. Should the Phillies emerge victorious, they’ll be the first club to win consecutive titles since the Yankees did between 1998 and 2000.
New York missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994 last season, but rebounded to finish as the top team in baseball in 2009. The Yankees are back in the Fall Classic after a six-year absence, and they are aiming to pop champagne for a 27th time in franchise history. But before that can happen, as is customary in Yankee lore, an unlikely hero must emerge. Right now, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will follow in the footsteps of Aaron Boone or Scott Brosius. Nick Swisher, perhaps?
This series has no “They Came Out of Nowhere” tales like the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins or Colorado Rockies of seasons’ past. These two teams were supposed to be here, and that’s what makes the next few days even more entertaining. This is the best against the best.
I grew up in Kingwood, N.J., exactly 60 miles from New York City, 60 to Philadelphia. I didn’t have cable at the house so we’d use an antenna on the roof to draw in a TV signal. Twist the antenna dial one way, all Philly stations. Go the other direction and you’d be watching what those in North Jersey saw. Since games weren’t on every day, I’d have to wait until the weekend to decide between Darren Daulton or Alvaro Espinoza. Believe me, it was tough. My 10-year-old mind would have been blown had these two teams met up. Which channel do I watch? Do I put the antenna dial in the center?
I remember watching Mitch Williams blow Game 7 of the 1993 World Series from my living room recliner. I can still picture Luis Gonzalez’ game-winning hit in the 2001 Series as I sat on my bed. I actually cheered at that moment. It was years before that I had eventually realized I was not a Yankees fan.
As I transitioned from sports fan to sports fan/journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to cover both of these teams on several occasions, the Yankees as early as this year. I’ve also been fortunate to speak with the managers and key players who are taking part in this Series. Not only that, but I’ve spent time on the field at both the new Yankee Stadium and Citizens Bank Ballpark, and let me tell you something: there could be a few run records being broken over the next couple of days.
Over the last 48 hours, I have gone back and forth over which team I think will win it all. It really was as tough as trying to decide which channel to settle on when I was younger. The Phillies feel like the right decision. The Yankees sound like the right decision. I’m going with my gut: Phillies in six.
At least I know where I can watch the game.