Yanks Look Hungry, Phils Look Complacent

[Philly-brownsfan]

As much as it kills me to say this, when you see baserunning moves like Johnny Damon's yesterday, there's no question who is the hungrier team in this year's World Series.
The Phillies look complacent, like they are satisfied with their one World Series Title of Last year.
The Yankees haven't won it all in nine years. Their players and their manager look driven.
It pains me to write this, because my two greatest passions in baseball and all of sports, for that matter, are seeing the Phillies win and about to an equal degree, seeing the Yankees lose.
Even the composition of the rosters are in one important sense, exact opposites.
The Phillies have 19 or 20 players on the World Series roster who were part of last year's championship team. There are only five or six newcomers.
Only Seven players have taken part in a title series on the Yankees and that's including Matsui in the Japanese Leagues. Only 5 of 25 Yankees have won the World Series. That would be the "Core Four" of the Yankees (Jeter, Pettitte, Rivera & Posada) and Johnny Damon with the Red Sox. Matsui has won the Japan Series, but never won the World Series with the Yankees. Eric Hinske has a World Series home run to his credit with last year's Tampa Bay Rays, but he also had to bear the ignominious fact THAT HE WAS LAST YEAR'S WORLD SERIES' FINAL OUT. (a strikeout via the Phils' Brad Lidge).

Will it take a World Series loss for the Phillies to re-gain their edge in 2010?

*Philly-brownsfan* (Dennis Orlandini).

[EasilyFound]

I don't know if they're complacent as much as they don't have the pitching that the Yank$ do. Realize that they're Game 2 starter was Pedro Martinez. And Lidge is terrible. He cost you a game last night. And Ryan has stopped hitting. I bet you thought he looked pretty hungry getting to the W.S. The Yank$ are just the better team.

[STLCards2]

I don't know if they're complacent as much as they don't have the pitching that the Yank$ do. Realize that they're Game 2 starter was Pedro Martinez. And Lidge is terrible. He cost you a game last night. And Ryan has stopped hitting. I bet you thought he looked pretty hungry getting to the W.S. The Yank$ are just the better team.

Yeah, when coaches/fans start attributing charactaristics like "hungar" or "effort", etc. as the reasons for losing, it is almost always a case of covering the truth - your team just isn't as good. Yes, lesser teams beat better teams all the time, but the best team still wins a majority of games and even more so, a majority of series. The Philies are a very good team, but the Yankees are just better(or at leats have been so far) - no shame there.

I find it hard to believe that a group like the Philies with all of those pro's and guys wanting so desperately to defend the title are just not playing as hard as the Yankees. It usualy looks like the losing team isn't trying as hard. In pro sports (with big salries, and trophies, and fame, etc.) I bet most all players give 100% most of the time.

[DoubleX]

I wouldn't say complacent so much as out of sync. Some of that has to do with the Yankees steady dose of left handed pitching, but I think the playoff schedule, with so many silly off days, can be a disruptive force that can deprive a team of its rhythm. Rather than these two teams clashing at full speed, they've had to start, stop, and wait so many times during this postseason, that at this point I think it's more a matter of which team can start up faster.

Yankees also have a very deep and patient lineup that just plan wears pitchers out.

Also, Eric Hinske is another Yankee with a ring - he was on the '07 Red Sox (A.J. Burnett probably has one too from '03 with the Marlins, even was injured for most of the season).

[EasilyFound]

Howard must start hitting. Right now. Well, not right now, but the next time they play a game. You know what I mean.

[Judway]

Don't underestimate this Phillies team. They can explode! I look for Howard to have two great games. Rollins needs to get on base and run.
This team has heart!

[Philly-brownsfan]

I wouldn't say complacent so much as out of sync. Some of that has to do with the Yankees steady dose of left handed pitching, but I think the playoff schedule, with so many silly off days, can be a disruptive force that can deprive a team of its rhythm.

I think I'll "borrow" your phrase for some of my future posts.
"Out Of Sync" says it perfectly. That's exactly what the Phils were in this Series. Thanks![/I]

[Philly-brownsfan]

Yeah, when coaches/fans start attributing charactaristics like "hungar" or "effort", etc. as the reasons for losing, it is almost always a case of covering the truth - your team just isn't as good. Yes, lesser teams beat better teams all the time, but the best team still wins a majority of games and even more so, a majority of series. The Philies are a very good team, but the Yankees are just better(or at leats have been so far) - no shame there.

The Phillies couldn't recapture the magic of the 2008 post-season. Even their Game 5 victory looked a bit shaky.

They really only looked like winners in Game One where they got Utley's blasts, timely hitting throughout the lineup and Cliff Lee had an amazing pitching, hitting (including bunting), and fielding performance.