Out of the final four teams, what would have made a better world series?
The Ex:
The matchup I most desperately wanted to see was Boston and the Dodgers. Boston has been the dynasty of the 2000 era, but unlike the Yankees dynasty before them, I don’t root against them. The Red Sox play the game right. With Boston and LA, we would have gotten the matchup of former AL East rival managers-Joe Torre and Terry Francona. Manny Ramirez would have been able to get revenge on the team that let him go, and Jason Bay would have been able to prove that he was worth the trade, and get a ring after spending numerous seasons in the mediocrity of Pittsburgh. It also would have made for a better series television-wise with the bigger markets. I am wary that the Philadelphia-Tampa Bay matchup will not be as popular as the one I wanted to see. But even though it didn’t go that way, you would like to root for the team that has been bad for forever. I think Ryan Howard and Chase Utley outhit Pena and Longoria for Tampa though, and I like Brad Lidge in the back of Phillies bullpen rather than, uh, who is Tampa’s closer now? Phillies in six.
Guru:
It is pretty obvious no matter who you are a fan of, what team is on your fitted cap, or where you are from. The Red Sox and Dodgers would have made for the better match-up. Manny Ramirez goes away from the Red Sox this season, and pushes his new team to the World Series. Manny and his new team face off against his old team. Think of the managers, Terry Francona vs. Joe Torre?the storied rivalry of the managers from the early 2000’s continues with Torre in Los Angeles. In addition, Torre sticking it to the Steinbrenners by getting his team to the big dance, possibly winning it against a team that owned him in the last five years. Whether you love, hate, or are apathetic to these teams, the back stories are hard to look away from. This would have probably gotten the most ratings out of all the combinations (only taking a backseat to the Cubs being in the World Series). Instead we get the Phillies, a team representing one of biggest droughts in sports history (last championship was the Sixers in 1970 with Dr. J). And we have the Tampa Bay Rays, who have went from last to a World Series trip at last. Rays in six.