Yankees advance to World Series

October 26, 10:12 AMMLB ExaminerAlex Brown

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the MLB Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The Yankees celebrate their ALCS victory
AP Photo/Peter Morgan

The New York Yankees are back in familiar territory, as they will represent the American League in the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Yankees earned their trip to the Fall Classic by defeating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 5-2 in Game 6 of the ALCS. This will be their first trip to the Series since 2003, when they were defeated by the Florida Marlins.

What am I looking forward to in this match-up?

• A pair of (former Cleveland) aces: Former Cleveland Indians’ aces CC Sabathia (Yankees) and Cliff Lee (Phillies) will meet in Game 1 of the World Series. The lefty hurlers won the American League Cy Young Award in consecutive years, and have both had tremendous success with their current clubs. Barring a short rest situation, we should be treated to at least one more match-up of these two pitchers.
• Much offense intended: To say that this series will be dominated by offense would be an understatement. The Yankees feature seven regulars with 20+ homers in the regular season, and the Phillies have five of their own similar sluggers. Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park is one of the country’s premier launching pads, and the new Yankee Stadium has seen balls flying out at record rates itself.
• There’s a first time for everything: Despite the Yankees’ illustrious postseason history, this will be the first Fall Classic for a few of their key players. This list includes Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and a host of young bullpen arms such as Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Phil Coke.
• Pedro’s return: Of course, Pedro Martinez is not the same pitcher who helped vanquish the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS as a part of Boston’s dramatic comeback win. However he’s pitched incredibly well for the Phillies as of late, and he’s a pivotal player coming into this series.

If you’re interested to see what our New York Yankees Examiner and Philadelphia Sports Examiner have to say about this match-up, check out Examiner’s 2009 MLB Postseason Coverage.