Postseason Preview: World Series

After a one year absence, baseball fans will get their Cinderella team in the World Series again.  Actually, two.  Both the Giants and Rangers weren't given big consideration for the World Series heading into the playoffs, especially considering both were serious underdogs playing for the pennant against the Phillies and Yankees, respectively.  But for the media, the unthinkable has happened.  The 'Big Three' of Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels has been beaten in a series nobody foresaw.  The invincible Yankees with their high priced bats and arms fell as the bats were silenced and the arms didn't silence anyone on the Rangers.

On to this World Series.  It will begin in San Francisco on Wednesday night, playing there again the next night before heading off to Texas for three games.  Unfortunately, the schedule just works out so that the Giants barely miss a home game on a Friday, which would have had them wear the orange uniforms in the World Series.  No team has worn an alternate uniform in the World Series since the 2007 Rockies, most teams elect not to for whatever reason.  The first game was a great pitching matchup of Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, probably not much of a better matchup could be asked for.  The two combined have gone 47.1 innings allowing just seven runs and striking out 64 with six walks.  The key for Cliff Lee is to control the tempo of the game like he usually does and to cool down Cody Ross.  He barely walks anyone so he needs to stick to his gameplan with men on base to avoid a flurry of hits resulting in a momentum shift.  Such momentum shifts, especially in the World Series, often decide the game.  The key for Tim Lincecum is to stay ahead of hitters and beware of the bottom of the lineup.  With these Rangers there are no easy outs except when Cliff Lee will have to bat in Game 1.  Bengie Molina has been huge for Texas batting out of the eight hole so Lincecum needs to control the likes of him and Mitch Moreland, another bat in the bottom who has been hitting well so far in the playoffs at .389.  There is no big bat to be scared of on the Giants, but there are so many guys who can beat you slapping big hits like Freddy Sanchez, Aubrey Huff, Buster Posey, Juan Uribe, and Pablo Sandoval.

Here is my pick.  TEX in 7.  This one will be very back and forth, but here's the order of wins I have: Game 1 is Texas, Game 2 is San Francisco, Game 3 is San Francisco, Game 4 and Game 5 are Texas, Game 6 is San Francisco, and Game 7 is Texas.  Neither team is afraid to win on the road, with both teams combining to go 4-2 in New York and Philadelphia.  The series MVP I believe will be Josh Hamilton, but that is nearly impossible to guess.

I am in the process of making an article for both teams, about what uniqueness has gotten them here.  So come back to read that!

Note: Bengie Molina can't be too disappointed with being traded from a contender.  His former team, the Giants, plays his current team, the Rangers in this World Series.  He earns a World Series ring either way, so it's a literal win-win.  Of course, the ginger ale celebration with his Rangers would be nice, so there's a bonus to that side of the win-win.