How do you feel is the best team in the playoffs?

[tywright]

Yea, Moyer is but no one else really is.

And i did read what you said...You said that Colorado's pitching will catch up to them....Well, statisically speaking, they are better than Philly pitching wise, so is Colorado's pitching going to catch up to them but Philly's won't?

Philly has been winning despite their pitching because of their offense. That's why I added that the Phil's offense is better than Colorado IMO. And I backed that up with team OPS on the road, which favors the Phils by a big margin.

Pitching in this series is a wash...it's going to be based on offense.

[Sports Guy]

Philly has been winning despite their pitching because of their offense. That's why I added that the Phil's offense is better than Colorado IMO. And I backed that up with team OPS on the road, which favors the Phils by a big margin.

Pitching in this series is a wash...it's going to be based on offense.

Some stats:

Phillies starters ERA: 4.91

Colorado starters ERA: 4.58

Phils BP: 4.41

Rockies BP: 3.85

Phillies staff numbers:

k/9: 6.48

BB/9: 3.44

HR rate: 1.22

74 QS

Rockies staff numbers:

k/9: 5.91

BB/9: 3.08

HR rate: 1

79 QS

BTW, the Rockies team ERA is virtually the same on the road and at home.

The pitching isn't a wash, at least on paper, according to these numbers.

Because of this, i think the Rockies have a slight edge in a series that should be higher scoring than most you will see in the playoffs. The Phils offense may be better but the gap is larger between the pitching than it is on the hitting side of it.

Plus, it seems that the Rockies have a better defense.

[beaner]

I can't believe all of the Cleveland love right now. Be honest, is it simply the fact that most of you just want the Yankees to lose? Again, our fans ridiculous obsession with the Yankees could be clouding some judgement.

That being said, I think the Yankees are the best team top to bottom, and they should handle the Indians in my opinion. Vegas agrees as the Yankees are the biggest favorite amongst the 4 series.

[Sports Guy]

I can't believe all of the Cleveland love right now. Be honest, is it simply the fact that most of you just want the Yankees to lose? Again, our fans ridiculous obsession with the Yankees could be clouding some judgement.

That being said, I think the Yankees are the best team top to bottom, and they should handle the Indians in my opinion. Vegas agrees as the Yankees are the biggest favorite amongst the 4 series.

Overall team ERA:

NY: 4.48

Cle: 4.05

Starters ERA:

NY: 4.57

Cle: 4.19

Bullpen ERA:

NY: 4.35

Cle: 3.73

Cle stats:

k/9IP: 6.44

BB/9 IP: 2.52

HR rate: .90

94 QS

NY stats:

K/9: 6.26

BB/9: 3.6

HR rate: .93

77 QS

That is a huge difference in pitching.

Now, the Yanks have a big advantage on the hitting side but, as we know, good pitching stops good hitting most of the time. Plus, the Indians hitting is probably better than the Yanks pitching.

[beaner]

Overall team ERA:

NY: 4.48

Cle: 4.05

Starters ERA:

NY: 4.57

Cle: 4.19

Bullpen ERA:

NY: 4.35

Cle: 3.73

Cle stats:

k/9IP: 6.44

BB/9 IP: 2.52

HR rate: .90

94 QS

NY stats:

K/9: 6.26

BB/9: 3.6

HR rate: .93

77 QS

That is a huge difference in pitching.

Now, the Yanks have a big advantage on the hitting side but, as we know, good pitching stops good hitting most of the time.

Yes, Cleveland does have a better staff, no question. However, the Yankees dominated them this year, have the best lineup in the league, and I think they're still a little embarassed about the Detroit series last year.

Sabathia's career numbers vs. New York are pretty weak as well. Not that i put too much weight on that, but it could be important.

[longflyball]

Yes, Cleveland does have a better staff, no question.

I don't like the line "good pitching beats good hitting", but in a 5 game series the advantage Cleveland has in its starting pitching is amplified. And they begin the series at home, which is huge against the Yankees.

[Sports Guy]

Yes, Cleveland does have a better staff, no question. However, the Yankees dominated them this year, have the best lineup in the league, and I think they're still a little embarassed about the Detroit series last year.

Sabathia's career numbers vs. New York are pretty weak as well. Not that i put too much weight on that, but it could be important.

This is a very interesting Verducci 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.

[beaner]

This is a very interesting Verducci article:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/tom_verducci/09/25/wild.card/1.html

Good find..I'll still take the Yankees though. We'll see, it should be fun. I just think both AL series will be over quick.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Good find..I'll still take the Yankees though. We'll see, it should be fun. I just think both AL series will be over quick.

How can you possibly be confident in the Yankees SP? Wang is good. Hughes and Kennedy are rookies, Mussina is off and on (and recently got shellacked by the O's), Pettitte is certainly battle-tested but he, like Mussina, has been off and on this year. Clemens is a ?

I'll take the Indians who have a worse offense but a much better rotation IMO.

[beaner]

How can you possibly be confident in the Yankees SP? Wang is good. Hughes and Kennedy are rookies, Mussina is off and on (and recently got shellacked by the O's), Pettitte is certainly battle-tested but he, like Mussina, has been off and on this year. Clemens is a ?

I'll take the Indians who have a worse offense but a much better rotation IMO.

I'm really not that confident in the Yanks SP, but i don't think I'll have to be. i think the lineup is so good, and CC's record against them is proof that they can hit him. As for Carmona, with all due respect, he's a kid who's never been in the playoffs and he'll be facing Pettitte, who has. Westbrook and Byrd are ok, but certainly won't put any fear into the Yankees lineup.

[Sports Guy]

I'm really not that confident in the Yanks SP, but i don't think I'll have to be. i think the lineup is so good, and CC's record against them is proof that they can hit him. As for Carmona, with all due respect, he's a kid who's never been in the playoffs and he'll be facing Pettitte, who has. Westbrook and Byrd are ok, but certainly won't put any fear into the Yankees lineup.

You know CC hasn't faced the Yankees in like 2 or 3 years?

[Pedro Cerrano]

I'm really not that confident in the Yanks SP, but i don't think I'll have to be. i think the lineup is so good, and CC's record against them is proof that they can hit him. As for Carmona, with all due respect, he's a kid who's never been in the playoffs and he'll be facing Pettitte, who has. Westbrook and Byrd are ok, but certainly won't put any fear into the Yankees lineup.

Yes but I feel like you're focusing solely on Yanks' offense vs. Tribe pitching. The Indians get to hit also, and, for the most part, they will be facing much easier pitching than the Yanks will.

Both CC and Carmona are BETTER pitchers than their counterparts (you can argue that Pettitte is better than Carmona but nobody would ever argue that Pettitte had the better year).

If the Yanks get down in this series and are forced to rely on Mussina, Hughes, etc, they are gonna be in trouble. The Tribe can rake.

[beaner]

You know CC hasn't faced the Yankees in like 2 or 3 years?

Yea, I find that very odd, but I guess that's how the rotation happened to fall.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Yea, I find that very odd, but I guess that's how the rotation happened to fall.

I think his point is that CC has GREATLY improved as a pitcher since the last time they faced each other. That makes a difference.

[beaner]

Yes but I feel like you're focusing solely on Yanks' offense vs. Tribe pitching. The Indians get to hit also, and, for the most part, they will be facing much easier pitching than the Yanks will.

Both CC and Carmona are BETTER pitchers than their counterparts (you can argue that Pettitte is better than Carmona but nobody would ever argue that Pettitte had the better year).

If the Yanks get down in this series and are forced to rely on Mussina, Hughes, etc, they are gonna be in trouble. The Tribe can rake.

Everyone else seems to be focusing only on the pitching, so that's ironic. You're right though, I am focusing on the Yanks offense vs. the Tribe's pitching more than anything. I just really fear that lineup, it's that simple.

Carmona and CC both had better years than the guys they'll be facing, no question. To me it'll come down to experience, and clearly the Yankees have the advantage there.