NFL Power Rankings-Top 15....Week 7

While the Vikings undefeated season came to an end against the Steelers, the Saints came from 3 touchdowns behind to win going away and avoid their first loss. The Colts are continuing to make it look easy against the "have nots" with a 42-6 blowout. After a bye week, the Broncos return to action and will be tested by a rested Ravens team that needs a win. In a week of lopsided scores, the Bengals, Patriots and Jets all won by large margins.

The Cowboys and Eagles both took advantage of the Giants second straight loss, moving within 1/2 game of first place in the NFC East. With their win in New York, the Cards are looking more like last year's playoff team, especially now that Beanie Wells is getting untracked. The Falcons defense let down in Dallas, and now the team has to face the powerhouse Saints in New Orleans.

Look for the top 2 ranked teams to remain undefeated, but the next 2 teams to fall. The Saints and Colts are the clear best teams in their respective conferences at this point, Their top challengers over the balance of the season will be the Vikings and Eagles in the NFC, and the Broncos and Patriots in the AFC.

1. Saints (6-0)-Huge comeback in Miami has team thinking big
2. Colts (6-0)-42-6 win in St. Louis looks routine
3. Broncos (6-0)- Ravens on the road will be next test
4. Vikings (6-1)-Steelers bring Vikes back to earth
5. Patriots (5-2)-Squeak by Bucs by 28 points
6. Bengals (5-2)- Crushing win against Bears has them talking playoffs
7. Steelers (5-2)-Starting to look more like last year's team
8. Giants (5-2)-Have yet to prove themselves against good teams
9. Eagles (4-2)-Offensive personality transformed into home run threat
10. Cowboys(4-2)-Erasing doubts, feeling better after convincing win
11. Falcons (4-2)- Young team still learning against tougher foes
12. Cardinals (4-2)-Improved rushing attack with Wells, D looking good
13. Packers (4-2)-Take care of business vs Browns with Favre ahead
14. Ravens (3-3)-Licked wounds, rested for 6-0 Broncos
15. Jets (4-3)- Back on track with blow out win in Oakland

Bombers Burnett Bests Pedro

Game 2 of the World Series felt a lot like Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. With Pedro Martinez again on the hill, the Phillies took an early 1-0 lead, but could not do anything more offensively to support a good pitching performance, and ultimately let the game slip away. In both games, the Phillies seemed to lack the same urgency and determination exhibited in other post season games after having already snatched home field advantage.

Last night, Pedro returned to the city that has been such a big part of his career. First, he was a loathed player on the Yankees arch rival and later pitched for the "other" New York team with a less hallowed history. Of course, the new Yankee Stadium was filled with fans of the Bronx Bombers, not the Mets team across town, so the sentiments aligned with the former scenario. "Who's your daddy?" chants rained through the stadium, along with other derisive calls and gestures, as fans recalled their team's history with Pedro.

Martinez was up to the challenge, effectively shutting out the distraction and shutting down the powerful Yankees line-up for most of the night. Unfortunately, AJ Burnett, his pitching counterpart, was even sharper, limiting the Phillies to one run over 7 very strong innings before handing things over to the post season's most prolific closer to finish it off.

The Phillies used a two out Raul Ibanez double and a single to left by DH Matt Stairs to take a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Alex Rodriquez whiffed on Stairs ground ball, a play that could have easily been ruled an error, and the raucous crowd drew quiet as they had the previous night.

Mark Teixeira evened things up leading off the bottom half of the 4th when he jumped on a Martinez change-up and drove it over the center field fence. Otherwise, both pitchers held their opponents in check, until Hideki Matsui golfed a curve ball just over the short right field fence with two outs in the 6th. The home run gave the Yankees their first lead of the World Series and riled the spirits of their fans.

After Burnett mowed down the Phillies again in the 7th, Martinez returned for the bottom half of the inning despite having already thrown 99 pitches. The Yankees put together 3 straight singles to extend the lead to 3-1, the second of which ended Martinez's night. Chan Ho Park struck out Derek Jeter and then Johnny Damon hit a liner to Ryan Howard off Scott Eyre. The ball was ruled an out and Howard touched a runner to record an inning ending double play; however, replays appeared to show the ball being trapped.

Yankees skipper Joe Girardi called upon Rivera to start the 8th to close the game out. After a quick out, Jimmy Rollins worked a walk and Shane Victorino singled. Rivera went 3-0 on Utley, but came back to induce an inning ending ground ball double play; however, once again, replays showed that Utley beat the throw to first.

Ibanez doubled with two outs in the 9th to keep the Phillies hopes alive, before Rivera sent Stairs down swinging to end the game.

Cliff Lee played a role in the game as he unintentionally served as inspiration for Burnett. Lee's post game comments the night before resonated with Burnett, who elected to take a similar approach and turned in arguably his best career performance. He limited the Phils to 4 hits and a pair of walks, while striking out 9.

Despite having a little less velocity and movement on his fastball, Pedro battled hard by mixing pitches and nibbling on the corners. His change-up was particularly sharp, which effectively made his fastball quicker and had the Yankees swinging at air throughout the evening. In six innings of work, he recorded 8 strikeouts, half of which came against Jeter and A-Rod.

Trailing 1-0 at home, the game was arguably more important to the Yankees. It surely may have had more to do with superb pitching by their opponents, but the aura of the Phillies was that they were playing a game that would be nice to win. By no means was there any nonchalance; however, they did not seem to possess the same high level of intensity that typically accompanies them in the post season. Perhaps this was a reflection of a strategy to wait out Burnett faltering on his own as he has been prone to do, but that never materialized last night.

The teams are now in Philly, preparing for a match-up of lefties with a history of post season success. With CC Sabathia likely waiting in the wings to pitch Game 4, the Phillies are looking to Cole Hamels to channel some of his 2008 post season magic after struggling in his first two playoff outings. Veteran Andy Pettitte opposes him and is currently pitching very well. Although teams typically try to use lefties to neutralize the Phillies left-handed sluggers, Pettitte has actually been more effective against right-handed hitters.

There will be no shortage of adrenaline this weekend. As always, the Citizen's Bank Park crowd will provide an added boost for the Phillies, particularly with the marquee team from Gotham City in the opposing dugout.

Pair of Pros Lead Phils By Example

Cliff Lee and Chase Utley played starring roles in the opening game of the 2009 World Series. This talented duo combined to set the tone for the night, and possibly the series, as they served notice that the only way to the World Champion moniker is through their team. They are the reigning title holders and it is going to take a remarkable effort to wrest it away.

In a city known for drama and theatre, it seems entirely fitting that these two would assert their considerable talents and will to lead the Phillies to a convincing victory on the biggest stage of their careers. Their performances and resulting win was like a double venti serving of Starbucks espresso for a crowd that was almost giddy in anticipation of their beloved team's next accomplishment.

Neither Lee or Utley are unnerved by the tension or distracted by the moment. They both share common traits in the way they go about their business, serving as models and leaders through words and action. They tirelessly prepare for the occasion, so when the television cameras go on, they are unencumbered to do anything other than proceed with the expectation of success.

One player is on the field everyday and the other crosses the white lines every fifth, but both bring the same intense professional precision to the roles they play. Success and winning is the end game, and both demonstrate unwavering concentration and maximum effort in reaching that destination.

Phillies fans and observers around baseball have witnessed and admired Utley's winning attitude and highly professional approach for several years. He is rightfully known as a "gamer", doing whatever it takes to win. If that means taking 26 balls in the ribs to get on base, making opposing hurlers run up their pitch count, running the bases with meticulous abandon, taking out a fielder with a hard slide or any other legitimate mean to give his team the edge, you can count on Utley to do it.

He is a marvelously talented, five tool player, stationed at a position that more typically leans toward defense. Utley's considerable physical abilities, especially coming from a second baseman, make him invaluable and a key element of his team's success, but the intangibles he brings are of equal importance. The mental toughness and great team chemistry that has fueled the Phillies accomplishments over the past few years, clearly trace back to Utley. This is not to say that players such as Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard are not equally important leaders, but although they have many similarities, they also bring a little something different to the equation.

From the first time that Lee took the mound after Ruben Amaro pulled off the tremendous coup of landing him at the trade deadline, it quickly became apparent that the team had added more than last year's AL Cy Young winner. Besides being better than most realized, Lee also brought the same professional, highly driven demeanor that was resident in the team's second baseman. He sprinted to and from the mound, and while he was there, he was all business.

When baseball people talk about a pitcher attacking the strike zone, they are referencing Lee. He works fast, with a laser-like focus on the task at hand. He throws four quality pitches and lives on the edge of the zone, but is not a nibbler. With surgical precision he throws strikes and, at his best, keeps hitters befuddled from start to finish as they never know what's coming or where.

Both Chase Utley and Cliff Lee are "throwbacks." In an age of exploding media coverage and monetary rewards, each is driven by the purest of motives- do whatever it takes to help his team win. Last night we saw remarkable performances from two great players. Who better than them to demonstrate, no matter how talented the opponent or bright the spot light, that the Phillies are tremendously intent on repeating as World Series Champions.

Cliff Lee and Utley Make the Yankees BeLeeve

Heading into the World Series, most baseball pundits (and other various media types) predicted a very competitive series, likely going 6 or 7 games, but very few gave the Phillies a chance to win. Most showed respect for the defending champions, but figured the Yankees to be too much of a powerhouse for the Phillies to prevail. Cliff Lee and Chase Utley may have grabbed the attention of the Yankees and the media by leading their team to a 6-1 series opening victory, and possibly made both believe (or should we say "beLeeve") that they have what it takes to win.

Last night's pitching match-up pitted best friends, former teammates and respective aces against each other. The experts' assessment and expectations of the match-up mirrored their overall assessment, with most seeing CC Sabathia as having the edge. Instead, it was Cliff Lee who put on a masterful pitching clinic, while new teammate Utley chased Sabathia with two solo shots into the misty October air. As Phillies fans quickly learned this summer, Lee should not be under-estimated as he has the ability to dominate his opponents with surgical precision.

The tone of last night's game was set early, and Lee maintained control from start to finish. In the first inning, although the Phillies did not score, they loaded the bases and made Sabathia work hard to escape trouble. Conversely, in the bottom half, Lee quickly dispensed the Yankees, striking out home town heroes Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira along the way.

In the 3rd inning, Utley jolted Sabathia, who appeared to be settling in, with his first home run of the night. He lifted a fastball a couple rows into the right field bleachers. He struck again in the 6th inning, this time launching a bomb deep into the right-center stands. Other than those two hits, both pitchers were cruising, setting down batter after batter, with one difference. Lee was pounding the strike zone, while his counterpart was forced to rack up a high pitch count.

Yankees Manager Joe Girardi opted to go to his bullpen to pitch the 8th with Sabathia having already thrown 113 pitches, and the Phillies took advantage by tacking on runs. Three walks and Raul Ibanez's 2-run single increased their lead to 4-0 in the 8th. They rallied again in the 9th inning, using singles by Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, along with doubles by Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Howard to plate a couple more runs.

Despite having a commanding 6-0 lead, Charlie Manuel sent Lee back out for a chance to complete the shut out. Jeter blooped a hit to center and Johnny Damon lined another hit to right. Teixeira bounced a ball up the middle that Utley grabbed, flipped to Rollins for a force, but the ensuing throw went into the dugout, allowing Jeter to score. Lee then shut the door by striking out Alex Rodriquez and Jorge Podada to end the game.

If not for the throwing error, Lee would have gotten credit for a complete game shut out. Despite the minor blemish of an unearned run, Lee pitched a true masterpiece, dominating the highest scoring team in the majors from start to finish. He ended with 10 strikeouts, while not walking a batter, a feat that had not been accomplished in a World Series for over 100 years. Overall, it was a pitching performance of historic proportions.

His outing last night represented a continuation of what Lee has done the entire post season, with each performance being elevated a little bit higher as the stakes increase. He is now 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA over 33.1 innings in 4 starts. Similar to his body of work when he first joined the team, the numbers are startling, but the way he does it is even more so. He keeps batters off balance with an ever changing array of pitches, up and down, in and out. He wears a leather glove on his right hand, but it must seem like an artist's palette to Lee as he executes the master strokes of a genius.

Meanwhile, Utley asserted himself as a team leader and one of the premier players in the game with his opening performance on the big, New York World Series stage. While others understandably struggled against one of the best pitchers in the majors, Utley single-handedly staked his team to a lead in a prodigious manner, seemingly putting the Yankees back on their heels while making a clear statement about his team's capabilities.

As the Phillies players were quick to remind everyone, this is only one game, but they were able to serve notice that they have a pretty special team and are not defending champions by accident. Sabathia and his Yankees mates will have more opportunities to make their own statements, but the opening salvo was fired by a Phillies team that just may be a bit under-appreciated by the national media. The Phillies are good...really, really good...and maybe the baseball world took a large step forward in recognizing that they will be very, very difficult to beat.

Phillies, Yankees 2009 World Series Preview

The New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies both followed similar paths this season. On May 14th, both teams stood at .500, but then played according to expectations over the balance of the season to win their divisions by comfortable margins.

The Yankees exploded, playing at a .672 clip on their way to the best record in baseball. Their final regular season win total of 103, the marquee names on their roster and the weight of the New York media has many convinced that they will end the Phillies reign as World Champions. It is hard to argue against the talent or the success that they have had this season, but the Phillies will have something to say about the outcome.

The Bronx Bombers have returned, as the Yankees are a team built on power and housed in a park built for home runs. They lead major league baseball in home runs with 244 and runs scored. The team boasts a line-up with all nine players having hit double digit home runs, including seven with 20 or more. The fact that they hit 56% of them at home provides evidence that the numbers are a little inflated by their home park. The Yankees also led baseball with a .362 OBP, while ending 2nd in hitting at .283.

These are surely impressive offensive credentials, but they also played defense and pitched pretty well, too. The team ended 4th in the American League both in fielding and pitching with a 4.26 ERA. The off season additions of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira at a 2009 cost of $58 million surely helped in all regards.

Despite the impressive resume, and two playoff series victories, the Yankees have not yet faced a team like the Phillies. The National League Champions are also built on power and led their league in home runs and runs as well. The numbers are comparable when adjusting for the DH inflation in American League stats, and contrary to popular perception, they hit 116 of their 224 home runs on the road, which might suggest they don't play in a "band box", whatever that is.

The Phillies also can pitch and field. They placed 8th in the majors in pitching with a 4.16 ERA and second in fielding having committed only 76 errors. The team also possesses its own cadre of big names, including 2 recent MVPs, 2 CY Young Winners and 5 NL All-Stars in 2009.

Lets take a closer look at how they compare for the World Series:

Starting Pitching

The Phillies have more depth than the Yankees, who plan to counter that by handing the ball to 19-game winner Sabathia to start 3 games, if necessary. Their other two starters will be Burnett and Andy Pettite. Game 1 will be a match-up of former Indians teammates and the last two AL CY Young winners, Sabathia and Cliff Lee. In a mild surprise, Pedro gets the call for Game 2 against Burnett with Cole Hamels pitching Saturday back the Bank. Charlie Manuel may choose to risk bringing Lee back on 3 days rest, but if not, he has solid options in J.A. Happ or Joe Blanton. With both line-ups loaded with heavy artillery, pitching duels are not that likely, especially in Yankee Stadium, but look for the Phillies hurlers to turn in the better performances.

Relief Pitching

The Yankees have the ultimate playoff weapon in closer Mariano Rivera, who continues to add to his major league record 37 post season saves, obtained on the strength of a 0.77 ERA. Besides Phil Hughes, the Yankees bullpen is a little bit of an adventure, so they need to have their starters go deep into games. Much has been made of the Phillies bullpen struggles all season long, but they are functioning their best on the big stage of the post season. Brad Lidge has seemingly re-gained his confidence and his form that was instrumental in last year's run. Getting Chan Ho Park and Brett Myers back from injury, along with Happ and Blanton standing by, the Phillies have great depth, and besides Rivera, have a significantly better group.

Offense

As already covered, both line-ups are the best in each respective league. They rely on long ball power, but the Phillies have superior team speed. Look for Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez to break out in the World Series despite facing a steady diet of left-handers, finding the short porch in Yankee Stadium to their liking. Howard has evolved from slugger into all around hitter, with the ability to be clutch. Jayson Werth should have a big offensive performance as he typically wears out left-handers. And, Shane Victorino has hit extremely well against Sabathia, including his memorable NLDS grand slam a year ago. Rollins is the "X" factor for the Phils.

The Yankees have been riding the red hot Alex Rodriquez, who has shaken off his previous dismal post season performances in the black pinstripes. Mark Teixeira started to get untracked at the end of the ALCS and has historically hit well against the Phillies, so expect him to do some damage. Derek Jeter will continue to be steady, but the rest of the line-up has not contributed a great deal in the post season.

Defense

Rodriquez and Teixeira are very strong on the corners. Jeter and Robinson Cano are steady up the middle, but the former does not have great range. The Phillies outfield is superior and the Yankees outfielders weak throwing ability should be exploited. Utley and Rollins form the best duo up the middle, and Feliz has performed well at third. Overall, the Phillies have the best defense in baseball.

Prediction

Although the Yankees have 26 World Series titles, this Phillies team has more post season experience than their opponent. Last year's experience, as well as their tremendous mental toughness and confidence will be the difference. Look for the Phillies indomitable spirit to show through as they do what other's couldn't and beat Rivera. Also, look for J Roll to be fueled by the big stage and attention from his pre-series prediction as he leads the Phillies to a second consecutive World Championship.

Phillies 4

Yankees 3

Two Best Teams are a Contrast in Organizational Philosophy

Weather permitting, the Phillies take their final step towards defending their World Series Championship tonight in New York. The Fall Classic begins in the Big Apple, appropriately bringing the two best teams in baseball together to compete for the 2009 title. It pits the most celebrated team in baseball history from the "Capital of the World" against the team with the most losses in baseball history from the city forever in its shadow.

Although some of the New York media seems to want to assert their city's and team's superiority, the outcome of this series will not be determined by population, cultural differences, affluence, stature of architecture or franchise history. This is baseball, here and now. The current Phillies team can do nothing about the organizational struggles in years past throughout its 100-year plus existence, but surely can do something about asserting itself as the best team in baseball this year...and perhaps this era.

Both teams share similarity in that they each have a marvelous collection of talent, but the teams were built in different ways. The Yankees have used their big market status and revenues to annually acquire the biggest names and the next tier of players on the free agent market. Currently its CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texiera, Andy Pettite, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, AJ Burnett...the list goes on. Conversely, the Phillies have primarily built around a nucleus of home grown talent, complemented by some shrewd acquisitions of "diamonds in the rough" and a couple finishing pieces.

Historically, the Yankees have been able to far exceed the competition in payroll and usually are the first team mentioned whenever top free agents seeking big payouts go on the market. They are major league baseball's "Show Me the Money" team- the "Best Team Money Can Buy." The Yankees are a collection of rentals and some old favorites melded together by the common bond of US currency.

To be fair, they do have have a few pieces cultivated within their organization. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada are products of their own drafts, amateur free agent signings and farm system. Make no mistake, though, the heart of their line-up and their starting pitchers were all wooed to the Yankee pinstripes by the highest bid.

In the opposing dugout is a team on a mission to repeat, melded through the proverbial climb together and an undeniable team chemistry. They are talented, driven and successful. And, contrary to perception that the qualities can not be mutually exclusive, they are also personable, team oriented and humble. The players and manager of this Phillies team are both champions and highly likable.

The foundation of this remarkable team and current period of success is built around players that they drafted and cultivated in their farm system. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are some of the top players in baseball that are also the clear leaders of the team. Last year's post season hero, Cole Hamels, anchors the pitching staff along with mid-year acquisition Cliff Lee, throwing to home spun Carlos Ruiz behind the plate. Other key players such as Shane Victorino and Jayson Werth were bargain basement signings abandoned by other teams who realized their potential in a Phillies uniform. And, to complete the puzzle, the team signed some value free agents such as Raul Ibanez and a couple of Pedro's.

Enthusiastic capacity crowds virtually every night in a superior venue, a winning attitude and a great team culture make for a highly attractive environment. Players want to be a part of it, and stay a part of it. The future is bright. The allure of the atmosphere is surely a key element to ensure that it stays that way. And, the team continues to develop talent from within that they are readying to step in when the time comes.

Conversely, the team to the north in Gotham City offers the Yankees mystique, fame and fortune as its primary allures. The largest market and revenue base by a long shot, along with ownership demanding success and a willingness to buy it, also goes a long way towards ensuring ongoing prosperity. When current players run their course, the holes can be plugged with the next available high priced free agents.

When the two teams face off against each other tonight in the 2009 World Series, the best teams that the National League and American League have to offer will be represented. And, two vastly different organizational philosophies will be on display as well. The Phillies players look to stake their claim in baseball history by being the first National League team to repeat as champions in 33 years, while the organization looks for validation that it did it the right way.

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