Turn Back the Clock?

Remember the late 90's, when the Yankees were in the World Series almost every year, treating overmatched opponents San Diego, Atlanta, and the Mets like stepping stones en route to the coronation parade? As a Red Sox fan, I wanted to believe those feeble NL teams could upset the Bronx bombers, but the Yankees always deflated those hopes very quickly: it was clear that the Yankees were the best team in baseball, by far.

This year, pundits have gotten behind the Yankees because they have a better lineup and play in a better league. Both claims are true. Top to bottom, the Yankee hitters are better than Philadelphia's. And the American League scores more runs than the National League, in general. But the same pundits are forgetting two very important points: 1) these aren't the Yankees of my high school years and 2) the Phils are the defending World Champions. Are these Yankees playoff proven? A few are, but the roster is largely made up of newcomers who have struggled in the postseason to this point in their careers. Is Joe Torre the manager? No. Are the Phillies playoff proven? Yes! And one more thing: the World Series isn't about paper comparisons, it's about matchups. In Game 1, Chase Utley showed that he can dominate a matchup against C.C. Sabathia, a guy the Phillies abused in the playoffs last year. And how about that other pitcher?

Last night, Cliff Lee threw a wrench in the gears of the Yankee World Series parade float. He might've even  caused a disruption of "Animal House" proportions. Lee is simply a man you don't want to mess with when he's hot: he won his first five starts in Philadelphia, allowing only three earned runs in 40 innings. Now, he's on another hot streak: three wins, a 0.54 ERA and a 30:3 strikeout/walk ratio in 33.1 postseason innings, including last night's 6-hitter against a clueless Yankees lineup.

Tonight, the most devastating pitcher of the late 90's faces the team of the late 90's. A lot has changed. Jeter, Pettitte, Posada and Rivera are the only guys left from those halcyon days, and Pedro can barely scrape 90 with his fastball. Can Pedro get it done? If he can, the Yanks are in BIG trouble, with lefty Cole Hamels scheduled for Game 3 - a guy who's had a spotty 2009 but was downright masterful in last year's playoffs. I don't know if he can pull it off, but if anyone has the stuff and the resolve for such a task, it would be Pedro Martinez.