World Series 2007: Colorado v. Boston
Posted by SBG on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
What are your thoughts about this series? I'll provide mine as part of the Game 1 log.
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I'm hoping that somehow, someway, the Rockies can withstand the forces of Sauron and stop the advancing evil hordes. In 6 games.
Other than Francis, none of the Rox have more than 166 IP. (Francis has 215 1/3).
Likely game 2 and 4 starters Jimenez and Morales combined for 120 or so.
So the tired arms that plagued Cleveland won't ba a problem.
I predict Beckett wins game 1 and the Rox win the next 4 (including game five with Beckett in Colorado).
I was starting a special WS version of MP, and am ticked because I just assumed that Cleveland (the one AL team I didn't do during the season) would be there and now I've wasted some work.
My world is all topsy turvy. JD Drew, playoff hero? What next, Jimmy Fallon winning a Grammy for "Car Wash for Peace"??
I'm going with Colorado, mainly because all the "experts" seem to be picking Boston. It's the same theory I used last year to pick St. Louis. It didn't work as well when I picked the Bears in the Super Bowl, though.
Position by position:
C: Torrealba vs Cap'n Tek. 'Tek by a small margin. 'Tek has a big OPS advantage, of which I am suspicious. Torrealba has a gun; Tek is ok defensively.
1b: Helton vs. Youk/Ortiz. Helton by a wide margin over Youk. At Coors, Ortiz presumably plays the field. He's bad defensively, but not THAT bad. Mebbe a push?
2b: Matsui vs. Pedroia. Pedroia by a fair margin.
3b: Atkins vs. Lowell. Lowell slightly on offense, a bit more on defense.
SS: Tulo vs. Lugo. Not close. Jeterwitzki.
LF: Holliday vs ManRam. Wow. Toss-up.
CF: Taveras/Spilborough vs. Ellsbury/Crisp. gotta be Ellsbury, right? although it's close to a push.
RF: Hawpe vs. Drew/Kielty. Hawpe, although again by a thin margin. Kielty should get some PAs against the Rox lefties (starter Francis, mebbe set-up man Fuentes).
DH: ?? Spilborghs/Seth Smith? vs. Papi. Duh.
starting pitching: Sawks by virtue of Beckett likely being able to start 3 games.
bullpens: I give a small edge to the Rox's depth. Herges/Hawkins/Affeldt/Fuentes/Carpas is just a little better than Timlin/Delcarmen/Okajima/Papelbon. But with the series stretched out, depth may not matter much.
that's six for the Sawks, three for the Rawks and two pushes. Sawks have a clear edge overall. That said, Tulo/Holliday/Atkins/Spilborghs could very well beat the Green Monster like a drum.
Helton by a wide margin over Youk.
I'd probably take Helton too, but I'm not sure the margin is that wide. Helton hit .308/.407/.460 away from Coors this year; Youkilis hit .288/.390/.453 overall.
Helton had a 51.9 VORP this year, Youkilis had a 31.1 VORP. Helton had a .308 EQA and Youkilis had a .283 EQA. On defense, it's probably a wash. I think it's reasonable to say that Helton had a significantly better season than Youkilis.
the Rox are afraid on no one
not even Beckett (who they beat in the regular season!)
Rox in 5
They also beat Schilling! The series was played in Boston.
Ellis Burks really should throw out the first pitch, though he could have done that if the Indians had won the ALCS, too.
I would love to watch Wakefield try to pitch in Denver, but it's sounding like they'll run him out for Games Two and Six. For shame! - Wakefield hasn't pitched in Denver since the Rockies moved out of Mile High Stadium.
Manny in left at Coors is going to be potentially very adventuresome, particularly with that 390' gap in left-center. Coco and Ellsbury better bring their track spikes.
I'll be pulling for the Rockies to win in five, particularly so they can do it in front of their fans.
I'm rooting for a snow-out.
Didn't you hear? Cleveland's out of the playoffs!
Wouldn't a knuckleball knuckle less in the thin air as there is less resitance? Starting Wakefield in Coors would essentially turn him into R.A. Dickey.
Indeed. Knucklers need that air resistance, which is why Boston is looking at pitching Wakefield at Boston only. He's only had two starts in Denver (at Mile High Stadium, like I said), but they didn't go particularly well - 9.2 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 6 BB, 4 SO.
Granted, that was against another Rockies team no earlier than twelve years ago, but obviously Boston is savvy to the potential problem. If I remember correctly they adjusted their rotation during the regular season to avoid pitching Wakefield at Denver during interleague play.
I'd just love to see it because, well, it'd be amusing.
Wakefield off playoff roster