2007 ALDS: NYY vs. CLE - Who wins?

[hudsonharden]

Who's your pick to advance to the ALCS in this matchup?

[Ytown Tribe fan]

um ... er ... hmm. well,

[Neilios]

The team that forgot how to lose in September.

Oh wait...

[mikeymussina35]

I think the Yankees will win the series. They have a 6-0 record against Cleavland this season and they have beaten, Carmona and Byrd, so Sabathia will be the only stopper in my eyes. They win series 3-1 or 3-2.

[NYMets523]

If Sabathia pitches twice, the Indians.

[cardsfanatic]

I just have to gloat a little here. I'm in no way a Yankee fan but when people were dog piling them earlier in the season and saying how they were toast... I'd like to remind people, I'm one of a few people who said that not only were the Yankees A) fine but B) they'd get hot down the stretch and storm into the playoffs because they were just too talented and once their young pitchers got some innings of work, their offense would blast them to the moon.

Nothing annoys me more than the fair weather environment in sports. Irrational and premature band wagoning -- so, for that reason,. and that reason alone... since my Cards aren't in the playoffs, I hope the Yankees win the whole dang thing. Just so all the people that broke their ankles jumping off the bandwagon in _MAY_ eat a heavy dose of crow.

[ChrisLDuncan]

At the beginning of the season I picked the Halos over the Tribe in the DS, also Cleveland will likely pitch Carmona and Sabathia twice...so I gotta go Cleveland.

[BoofBonser26]

Obviously I cast a completely homer vote, but I also have this story to share:

Today at lunch one of my friends (a diehard Tribe fan) sat down opposite me and said, "Damn Yankees." I glanced up at him. He was wearing a Yankees shirt. "We have to play them in the first round."

"And...?" I asked, glancing down at his shirt.

"Oh. DiMaggio. Hall of Fame shirt. Doesn't count."

:) :homeplate: :)

[Henry515]

I don't think Sabathia pitched in any of the 6 regular season games. In a five games series, the Yanks may have to see C.C. and Carmona 4 times. That will make it tough on them. But we'll see what happens.

[BoofBonser26]

For those who point to the 0-6 season record, can you say "small sample size"?

[Westlake]

For those who point to the 0-6 season record, can you say "small sample size"?

Cmon Boof, you know that if the Tribe were 6-0 against the Yanks this year you would have pointed that out too. Let's not be hypocritical here.

[BoofBonser26]

Cmon Boof, you know that if the Tribe were 6-0 against the Yanks this year you would have pointed that out too. Let's not be hypocritical here.
Nope. I'd take a good deal of comfort out of that, but I would also think, "Holy crap, we have to play the Yankees!"

[BoofBonser26]

From this article (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tom_verducci/09/25/wild.card/1.html):

3. The team that won the season series has the edge over its opponent.

Not so. The next time somebody wants to bring up how playoff teams did against one another during the season, tell them to save their breath. It's irrelevant.

Over the past two seasons, the team that won the season series over its opponent is 3-9 when those same teams meet in league postseason play. Did I hear someone say "small sample"?

OK, let's look at the entire Division Series and League Championship Series history during the wild-card era. The team that won the season series is 33-36 in postseason rematches, including 12-21 since 2001 (excludes three matchups of teams that tied their regular-season series). So fear not the Yankees, Indians fans. October really is a whole new season.

Moral? We just have to wait for Wednesday/Thursday. :ughh

[Westlake]

Nope. I'd take a good deal of comfort out of that, but I would also think, "Holy crap, we have to play the Yankees!"

Riiight. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I dont think any of the intelligent Yankee fans on this board are thinking "Well, we're 6-0 against them this year, what a cake walk!" either.

[BoofBonser26]

Right. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I dont think any of the intelligent Yankee fans on this board are thinking "Well, we're 6-0 against them this year, what a cake walk!" either.
I agree with you. And I also see lots of people pointing to 0-6 in the Yankees forum. So...:cool:

[Yankwood]

Yanks should 3-1. The only game Cleveland might win is the one that fat guy pitches. That other skinny guy got bombed by the Yanks so he's probably shaking in his cleats just thinkung about it. That Westbrooke guy is soft and they better not even think of putting that pitcher who looks like Kelsey Grammar in to pitch. He throws softer than he looks, and boy does he look soft.

[NYMets523]

That Westbrooke guy is soft and they better not even think of putting that pitcher who looks like Kelsey Grammar in to pitch. He throws softer than he looks, and boy does he look soft.

You're thinking of Mike Mussina, not Jake Westbrook.

[Yankwood]

You're thinking of Mike Mussina, not Jake Westbrook.You're right about that. Mike Mussina is the marshmallow of the pitching world.

[natsnsoxfan]

I went with Cleveland. I just don't think the Yankees have the pitching to advance in the postseason, the only one I put any trust into, especially in the playoffs, is Pettitte; thats right, I do not think Wang is reliable in the playoffs and I think he is extremely overrated, but this as a conversation for another day.

The Indians do have the pitching to go very deep however. Carmona and Sabathia in 4 of 5 games is pretty scary if you ask me, you'll have to beat each of them at least once to advance. Plus they have a very good offense as well.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Yanks should 3-1. The only game Cleveland might win is the one that fat guy pitches. That other skinny guy got bombed by the Yanks so he's probably shaking in his cleats just thinkung about it. That Westbrooke guy is soft and they better not even think of putting that pitcher who looks like Kelsey Grammar in to pitch. He throws softer than he looks, and boy does he look soft.

The "fat guy" will pitch twice in this series.

[nerfan]

Cleveland 3-2. The Yankees do not have the 139-145 ERA+ punch of Sabathia and Carmona. They have the 117-114 punch of Wang and Andy Pettitte. Good pitching usually beats good hitting in a short series. Oh yeah, and those Cleveland batters aren't that bad. They have Martinez, Garko, Hafner, Peralta, and a couple of guys who don't hurt the team. They may not have A-Rod and Posada, but they are still capable of mashing.

[Yankwood]

The "fat guy" will pitch twice in this series.Are they going with 3 starters?

[Erik Bedard]

They should.

[RuthMayBond]

Cleveland 3-2. The Yankees do not have the 139-145 ERA+ punch of Sabathia and Carmona. They have the 117-114 punch of Wang and Andy Pettitte. Good pitching usually beats good hitting in a short series. Oh yeah, and those Cleveland batters aren't that bad. They have Martinez, Garko, Hafner, Peralta, and a couple of guys who don't hurt the team. They may not have A-Rod and Posada, but they are still capable of mashing.That would be the ultimate, since I have a ticket for game 5 :pray:

[Honus Wagner Rules]

Are they going with 3 starters?
There will be an extra day off in this series so Sabathia and Carona will both pitch twice,

[Yankwood]

There will be an extra day off in this series so Sabathia and Carona will both pitch twice,With the Yankees winning in 4 I believe only the fat guy will pitch twice. I don't think anyone's scared of that 1-7 record against the Yankees. Tubby's goin' down hard!!! Maybe somebodys line drive up the middle will spin that stupid looking crooked hat straight.

[NYMets523]

He didn't pitch against the Yankees this season. Just one of the many breaks the Yankees got this season. He'll mop the floor with them. He outpitched Santana 4 times this year. Lefties are hitting .203/.229/.317/.545 against him. One thing we've learned from the Yankees this year is that when the lefties don't hit, they don't do much.

[Westlake]

With the Yankees winning in 4 I believe only the fat guy will pitch twice. I don't think anyone's scared of that 1-7 record against the Yankees. Tubby's goin' down hard!!! Maybe somebodys line drive up the middle will spin that stupid looking crooked hat straight.

Well, your predictions have been dead on as of late. :rofl:

[hudsonharden]

Even though I tend not to root for them and they don't have home field, I am going for the Yankees in this one. Maybe its their experience on their intimidating lineup, or the fact that wildcards have tended to do well in previous years. I'll take New York in 4.

[BoofBonser26]

Careful, Yankwood. That's bordering on offensive there.

The Indians have announced that they're going with a 4-man rotation (Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, Byrd), but I wouldn't be surprised if they change that during the series.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

For the record:

CC did not pitch against the Yanks this year

Carmona pitched twice. He gave up 2 runs in 6 IP in the first game, and Joe Blow coughed up 6 runs in his blown save, ruining a fine Quality Start by Fausto.

Fausto gave up 4 runs in 7 IP in his second outing against the Yanks, which was also a QS through 6.

No one in Tribe town is taking anything for granted, but the Yanks surely haven't seen our best yet.

[Mariano_Rivera]

I`m hoping the Yankees can win it but Sabbathia deserves the CYA IMO and the Indians are my pick to win the World Series

[Yankwood]

Careful, Yankwood. That's bordering on offensive there.

The Indians have announced that they're going with a 4-man rotation (Sabathia, Carmona, Westbrook, Byrd), but I wouldn't be surprised if they change that during the series.Offensive? Boy you Indian fans are a thin skinned bunch. Pale face here likem Yankee chance to scalpem Red Man. WOOO WOOO WOOOO WOOOOO WOOOOO WOOOOOO!!!!!!

[BoofBonser26]

Offensive? Boy you Indian fans are a thin skinned bunch. Pale face here likem Yankee chance to scalpem Red Man. WOOO WOOO WOOOO WOOOOO WOOOOO WOOOOOO!!!!!!
Well, you can talk like that if you want to, but I'm trying to have a productive and enlightening discussion about our pitching staff.

[Yankwood]

Well, your predictions have been dead on as of late. :rofl:I'm due!!!!!!! Red man no likem pale face beat Injuns. Takem scalp back home. Win wampum. Whoop papoose!!! HOW!!!

[Jayme]

Hopefully no one here thinks this YANKing his WOOD is speaking on behalf of all Yankee fans.

Anyways, I say Yanks in 4, If it goes 5 games its very unlikely to beat CC twice in one series, if they can even beat him once, we'll see.

Should be a great series none the less

[ElHalo]

There will be an extra day off in this series so Sabathia and Carona will both pitch twice,

Actually, no. The extra off day went to the Boston / Anaheim series.

The Yankees did light up Carmona this year. I'm not terrified of him or Sabathia the way I would be of, say, having to face Johan Santana twice in a short series. The Indians are also relying on Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook to start two games for them, and Joe Borowski to close. I'm much more concerned about the Yankees' pitching problems than the Yankees' hitters having problems with Cleveland's pitching.

I would feel better if we had Phil Hughes going in Game 4 than Mike Mussina, but at least Hughes will be up and ready to go from out 1. It's nice to have a safety net like that.

The key here, in my opinion, is that Wang and Pettite, while they're not overpowering, will eat innings for breakfast, and Joe Torre will abuse Joba Chamberlain to death this postseason. As long as our starters can go deep and keep us in games, I feel we have a good shot of limiting teams to 4-5 runs pretty much every time out. While this would be a problem for a lot of teams, it's not for the Yankees, because nobody's limiting these guys to 4-5 runs a game unless they pull a 2006 playoffs and ARod goes 1-17.

While it's true that good pitching tends to beat good hitting in the postseason, the simple fact is that the Yankees' hitting is beyond good. Take away the first two months of the season (when Cano, Matsui, Abreu, and Damon were struggling to top the Mendoza line) and this team's OPS+ is over 130. Matter of fact; let's talk about that particular thumbnail stat (which isn't terribly useful, I know, but as thumbnails go it's not terrible):

Yankee expected lineup by OPS+:

1. 101 (Damon, LF)
2. 125 (Jeter, SS)
3. 119 (Abreu, RF)
4. 182 (Rodriguez, 3B)
5. 160 (Posada, C)
6. 128 (Matsui, DH)
7. 124 (Cano, 2B)
8. 93 (Cabrera, CF)
9. 108 (Mientkiewicz, 1B)

And the Indians:

1. 127 (Sizemore, CF)
2. 107 (Cabrera, 2B)
3. 123 (Hafner, DH)
4. 133 (Martinez, C)
5. 124 (Garko, 1B)
6. 105 (Peralta, SS)
7. 91 (Lofton, LF)
8. 82 (Nixon, RF)
9. 105 (Blake, 3B)

It's possible I'm wrong by a guy on Cleveland. Regardless, that gives Cleveland leads at leadoff and the 3 slot, and the Yankees MASSIVE leads everywhere else. It's just too much of an offensive wall to climb over.

Also, with the exception of Jeter, every single one of the guys on the Yankees lineup card is a plus fielder (sorry, Cleveland fans; Cabrera is probably the best defensive outfielder still playing in the AL). And Jeter tends to bring it a bit in the postseason.

[Westlake]

Mient doesn't have a massive lead on Blake, and even if he did, Blake is just flat out a better hitter. That being said, NY has the offensive edge, I dont think anyone will debate you on that.

[NYMets523]

And the Indians:

1. 127 (Sizemore, CF)
2. 107 (Cabrera, 2B)
3. 123 (Hafner, DH)
4. 133 (Martinez, C)
5. 124 (Garko, 1B)
6. 105 (Peralta, SS)
7. 91 (Lofton, LF)
8. 82 (Nixon, RF)
9. 105 (Blake, 3B)
Isn't Franklin Gutierrez the starting RF?

(sorry, Cleveland fans; Cabrera is probably the best defensive outfielder still playing in the AL).

Melky? You must not watch a lot of other teams. Melky takes so many bad routes on balls that could easily be stopped several feet earlier. I've seen him let balls roll to the fence that end up triples when they could have been doubles if he took better routes. Plus he doesn't have a cannon or great range.

[ElHalo]

Mient doesn't have a massive lead on Blake, and even if he did, Blake is just flat out a better hitter. That being said, NY has the offensive edge, I dont think anyone will debate you on that.

And, again, it comes down to pitching. The Indians have a terrible closer, but they have lots of talent everywhere else. Pitching is easily better than the Yankees'. Indeed, there's nobody on the Yankees' roster I can entirely trust other than Joba Chamberlain, and he can only get about 8 innings, max, in this series (I would, to be honest, have more faith in Ian Kennedy than any of our other starters, but he's not on the roster, and I have a feeling he might need some more seasoning before he gets dumped into a playoff game... I think Hughes can handle it just fine, and Chamberlain shouldn't have the slightest difficulties.). Wang alternates unhittability with getting lit up (especially on the road, where both of his starts this series are scheduled), Pettite got lit up his last game, Clemens hasn't pitched in a month, and Mussina has been getting shelled all season. Personally, the best rotation the Yanks could go with would be Pettite - Hughes - Wang - Kennedy, but they'll never in a billion years do that.

Mo's looked shaky the last couple of weeks, and Torre's put far too much faith in Farnsworth and Vizcaino. Farnsworth is talented but petulant and unreliable, and Vizcaino has been good when he hasn't had his arm falling off from Torre's overuse. There's only so many innings Chamberlain can pitch. I think the real wildcard in the bullpen for the Yankees this postseason will be Russ Ohlendorf, who has phenomenal stuff and no scouting reports.

[Westlake]

Also, ElHalo, I guess you havent seen much of Coco. He's better than Melky in the field. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. Coco is probably the best defensive outfielder in baseball (arguments can be made for Granderson). A noted Ichiro homer (you know who you are) has even told me that Coco is the best defensive outfielder he's ever seen. This isn't to say Melky isn't VERY good, but Coco is noticably (sp?) better.

I'd really like to see Kennedy get a start in the post-season too, but it wont happen as you said.

[ElHalo]

Isn't Franklin Gutierrez the starting RF?



Melky? You must not watch a lot of other teams. Melky takes so many bad routes on balls that could easily be stopped several feet earlier. I've seen him let balls roll to the fence that end up triples when they could have been doubles if he took better routes. Plus he doesn't have a cannon or great range.

He does have a poor first step, which lets some otherwise gettable balls get over his head (he has a tendency to play in). But his speed usually makes up for it.

But he's got outstanding range (his RF blows away the league average), and he led all AL CF's in assists despite only playing 130 games there (I'd put his outfield arm against anyone in the AL other than Ichiro and Vlad Guerrero). Baseball Prospectus puts him at 13 FRAA, compared to -5 for Sizemore.

[NYMets523]

I see Carlos Beltran every game and I think Coco Crisp is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.

He does have a poor first step, which lets some otherwise gettable balls get over his head (he has a tendency to play in). But his speed usually makes up for it.

But he's got outstanding range (his RF blows away the league average), and he led all AL CF's in assists despite only playing 130 games there (I'd put his outfield arm against anyone in the AL other than Ichiro and Vlad Guerrero). Baseball Prospectus puts him at 13 FRAA, compared to -5 for Sizemore.

He still goofs up WAY too many balls. The worst thing that you can do is let a ball go further than it should and give the runner and extra base which he does a lot.

I don't put much stock into defensive stats. The best way, IMO, to judge a players defense is see him play everyday. They don't give errors or anything like that to show him missing cutoff men, taking bad routes, making lollipop throws, etc. You don't really see those in the stats. You also don't see catches that keep the guy on 3rd from scoring or home run robberies. A simple fly out appears the same as a jump and reach over the fence. If you see them, you know they're 2 different catches.

[ElHalo]

Also, ElHalo, I guess you havent seen much of Coco. He's better than Melky in the field. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. Coco is probably the best defensive outfielder in baseball (arguments can be made for Granderson). A noted Ichiro homer (you know who you are) has even told me that Coco is the best defensive outfielder he's ever seen. This isn't to say Melky isn't VERY good, but Coco is noticably (sp?) better.

I'd really like to see Kennedy get a start in the post-season too, but it wont happen as you said.

Crisp is better defensively than Melky, but I have a feeling Crisp won't be getting much playing time in the postseason. If Manny's healthy, you have to figure the Boston outfield would go Manny in Left, Drew in Right, and Ellsbury in CF.

[Westlake]

Crisp is better defensively than Melky, but I have a feeling Crisp won't be getting much playing time in the postseason. If Manny's healthy, you have to figure the Boston outfield would go Manny in Left, Drew in Right, and Ellsbury in CF.

I dont really see that happening, honestly. Interesting idea, but i'm not sure they're going to want to give him regular time inthe post-season just yet.

NYMets, one thing I cant do is diss Melky's arm. I haven't seen many lollipop throws come out of him... his arm looks pretty solid to me.

[RuthMayBond]

(sorry, Cleveland fans; Cabrera is probably the best defensive outfielder still playing in the AL). Sure, if you ignore Crisp AND Sizemore AND Mathews

[NYMets523]

I dont really see that happening, honestly. Interesting idea, but i'm not sure they're going to want to give him regular time inthe post-season just yet.

NYMets, one thing I cant do is diss Melky's arm. I haven't seen many lollipop throws come out of him... his arm looks pretty solid to me.

I was just listing some examples of the things that don't show in fielding stats. When I think of a great arm obviously the first name I think of is Guerrero. Melky doesn't have a cannon like him.

[RuthMayBond]

Whoop papoose!!! HOW!!!You have no idea then? :laugh :waving

[Zagi-CRO]

I think NY Yankees vs. Cleveland 3-2

[BoofBonser26]

Good job on the Tribe lineup, ElHalo. As said before, though, Franklin Gutierrez is starting in right.

I'll agree that the Yanks have the offensive edge. And the Tribe has the pitching edge, hands down.

Yanks have Joba. We have two Raffys and Lewis. Ad Indians.

[KCGHOST]

With the collapse of Pronk as a mega-offensive force I see no reason to pick the Indians. Particularly since the aces of the Indians staff have never done squat against the Yanks.

[BoofBonser26]

With the collapse of Pronk as a mega-offensive force I see no reason to pick the Indians. Particularly since the aces of the Indians staff have never done squat against the Yanks.
Did you notice that we won 96 games with that slumping Pronk?

[sflnyc]

As with every year, I am rooting for all 41 potential post-season games to be played with every series going the limit. The more games, the better.

My choice here: Yankees in 5 games

P.S. Not the question asked, but I would like to have Phillies and Yankees play in the World Series with the Phillies winning their 2nd Championship.

[RuthMayBond]

With the collapse of Pronk as a mega-offensive force I see no reason to pick the Indians. Particularly since the aces of the Indians staff have never done squat against the Yanks.Why don't you tell us how Sabathia did against the Yanks this year? :rolleyes:

[Doctor Zizmor]

Phil Rizzuto died, the Yankes will win it all this year, its inevitable

[Doctor Zizmor]

Why don't you tell us how Sabathia did against the Yanks this year? :rolleyes:

CC Sabathia does not scare the Yankees in the least bit. However, if I was a betting man, which I happen to be, Id bet the house that CC is terrified of the Yankees

[RuthMayBond]

Phil Rizzuto died, the Yankes will win it all this year, its inevitableJust like when the Babe and Mick died :rolleyes: Steinbrenner loses for not letting the Scootah go to the Mick's funeral

[RuthMayBond]

CC Sabathia does not scare the Yankees in the least bit.Then the Yanks don't have ANY starter that would scare the Tribe

<However, if I was a betting man, which I happen to be, Id bet the house that CC is terrified of the Yankees>

Yeah, like he was against Johan Santana :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

[Doctor Zizmor]

Then the Yanks don't have ANY starter that would scare the Tribe

<However, if I was a betting man, which I happen to be, Id bet the house that CC is terrified of the Yankees>

Yeah, like he was against Johan Santana :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

since when does sanata hit?

[RuthMayBond]

since when does sanata hit?If Never said he did but it's tough going up against an ace. And if Sabathia can broom against a real pitcher . . . ;)

[Doctor Zizmor]

If Never said he did but it's tough going up against an ace. And if Sabathia can broom against a real pitcher . . . ;)

last I checked pitcherS (AL pitchers especially) have to pitch to the oposing teams line up, not the oposing teams pitcher. Im not sure where youre going with this Santana thing

[RuthMayBond]

last I checked pitcherS (AL pitchers especially) have to pitch to the oposing teams line up, not the oposing teams pitcher. Im not sure where youre going with this Santana thingLet me put it this way. Santana beat your lineup this year at NY, and this year Sabathia is a better pitcher than Santana

[Doctor Zizmor]

Let me put it this way. Santana beat your lineup this year at NY, and this year Sabathia is a better pitcher than Santana
Im going to give you the benefit of the doubt on this. You dont honestly believe that holds any weight, do you?

And again, Sabathia is pitching to the Yankees line up, not the Twins

Jason Tyner < John Damon
Jason Bartlett < Derek Jeter
Joe Mauer = Bobby Abreu
Justin Morneau < Alex Rodriguez
Tori Hunter < Jorge Posada
Michael Cuddyer < Hideki Matsui
Nick Punto/Casilla/Castillo < Melky Cabrera
Kubel/Ford < Robinson Cano
Insert Twins player here > Doug Meinalphbet


So as you can see, the Yankees line is not just better than the Twins line up, its ridiculously, overwhelmingly better.

[RuthMayBond]

Im going to give you the benefit of the doubt on this. You dont honestly believe that holds any weight, do you?
You need the benefit of the doubt, you came up with the Rizzuto theory :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

[Doctor Zizmor]

You need the benefit of the doubt, you came up with the Rizzuto theory :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

obviously I was joking. you on the other hand, Im not sure :D

[RuthMayBond]

obviously I was joking. Yeah, THAT'S the ticket :rolleyes: ;)

[ShortStop]

You need the benefit of the doubt, you came up with the Rizzuto theory :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

Well the Red Sox have been blaming ghosts for 86 years, i don't see anything wrong with being superstitious. :laugh

[truman]

To me, this looks a lot like the '06 ALDS. The Yankees have a powerhouse lineup and a shaky pitching staff. They are facing a team with capable hitting and lights out pitching. Cleveland's pitching weakness (Borowski) is no different than the weakness of the '06 Tigers (Todd Jones). I've seen several comments about CC's lack of success vs. NYY - reminds me of a certain overconfidence heading into a matchup vs. Kenny Rogers last year.

Prediction:
History repeats itself as Yankee fans are none the wiser (except maybe no curtain call in the 4th inning of game 2 :laugh ): Cleveland in 4.

[NightHawks2007]

The Yankees have the offense to take care of the Indians short rotation. Nobody wants to face New York right now, and Cleveland is no exception. Yankees in 4.

[DodgerBlue81]

Unfortunately the Yankees will win it all. Yankees in 4. They got a break here playing the Indians instead of the Angels. Indians are young, unproven, and their closer is Joe Borowski. I hate the Yankees and would love to see the Indians win but the Yankees should win this series.

[Westlake]

Well the Red Sox have been blaming ghosts for 86 years, i don't see anything wrong with being superstitious. :laugh

No they havent.

[BoofBonser26]

Unfortunately the Yankees will win it all. Yankees in 4. They got a break here playing the Indians instead of the Angels. Indians are young, unproven, and their closer is Joe Borowski. I hate the Yankees and would love to see the Indians win but the Yankees should win this series.
When has experience ever mattered in October?

[DoubleX]

Yankee fans keep pointing to the 6-0 record against the Indians this year as a point of optimism. It is, but during the year, the Indians didn't really have Travis Hafner available in those 6 games due to injuries. He made just 13 plate appearances in those 6 games. Hafner looks healthy now, he had a good September, and he makes the Indians lineup much more potent. People often don't realize just how good a hitter Hafner has been for the past few years - he's essentially been David Ortiz for the Indians - he led the AL in OPS+ for three straight years, 2004-2006.

[Ytown Tribe fan]

The only team I fear is Philly. I can't wait to see Cholly manage against his old team.

[ElHalo]

To me, this looks a lot like the '06 ALDS. The Yankees have a powerhouse lineup and a shaky pitching staff. They are facing a team with capable hitting and lights out pitching. Cleveland's pitching weakness (Borowski) is no different than the weakness of the '06 Tigers (Todd Jones). I've seen several comments about CC's lack of success vs. NYY - reminds me of a certain overconfidence heading into a matchup vs. Kenny Rogers last year.

Wow. No.

The Yankees' starters last year: Wang, Mussina, Johnson, Jaret Wright.

When trouble came a' calling (as it of course did in Wright's start), the next best option was... um... Corey Lidle.

Mussina's the fourth starter now at best, and the short leash option is Phil Hughes. Much better that way.

Also, almost the entirety of the late inning relief from last year's team (Bruney, Proctor, Myers) wasn't good enough to make the roster. Farnsworth and Villone are still there, but only in the event we need somebody other than Joba.

Also, I don't see these OBP's repeating:

Cabrera: .000
Cano: .133
Damon: .278
Giambi: .300
Matsui: .250
Rodriguez: .071

And we won't be trotting out Sheffield's .083/.083/.083 line again this year, either.

[ElHalo]

The only team I fear is Philly. I can't wait to see Cholly manage against his old team.

I honestly took about three minutes trying to figure out who "Cholly" is before I realized that I don't have the slightest idea who the managers of the Indians or the Phillies are. The last Phillies' manager I can remember is Larry Bowa, and the last Indians' manager I can remember is Mike Hargrove. If they've changed since then (I at least know Bowa has, as he works for the Yankees now), I can't imagine who you're talking about. I don't think Hargrove used to play for the Phillies.

[RuthMayBond]

the last Indians' manager I can remember is Mike Hargrove. If they've changed since then (I at least know Bowa has, as he works for the Yankees now), I can't imagine who you're talking about. I don't think Hargrove used to play for the Phillies.At least you didn't say Lajoie or Boudreau :clapping

[BoofBonser26]

I honestly took about three minutes trying to figure out who "Cholly" is before I realized that I don't have the slightest idea who the managers of the Indians or the Phillies are. The last Phillies' manager I can remember is Larry Bowa, and the last Indians' manager I can remember is Mike Hargrove. If they've changed since then (I at least know Bowa has, as he works for the Yankees now), I can't imagine who you're talking about. I don't think Hargrove used to play for the Phillies.
Please stop flaunting your ignorance. Or, learn the current managers! You'd be amazed what some of these guys are up to.

[DownUnderDodger]

Great to see the Tribe there but I think big game experience may count and therefore am tipping the Yankees to win 3-1. (Note to all Yankee fans....as a tipster, I stink!!)

[BoofBonser26]

Great to see the Tribe there but I think big game experience may count and therefore am tipping the Yankees to win 3-1. (Note to all Yankee fans....as a tipster, I stink!!)
Big game experience has been shown to have no influence over the outcome of the postseason.