Kuzul

The 2010 World Series will commence on Wednesday evening from San Francisco.  It can last as long as nine days or as few as five.  It should be interesting to see how this unlikely World Series will play out.  

Pitching matchups will be at the forefront, but this slide show will attempt to go even deeper. I will examine all things that need mentioning and present fun facts for each game.  

Here are some major league reasons to watch this 2010 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants.  

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The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants both come into the 2010 World Series as having been heavy underdogs throughout their playoff runs.  Now, Texas is the favorite, even with starting the series in San Francisco.  

This should be a great series to follow when it commences Wednesday evening on FOX.  

Both teams are looking to prove that their respective Championship Series victories were no fluke.  Truth is though, both teams are capable of hoisting the World Series Trophy.  Only time will tell though, as always.  

But as for now, here are five ways that each team can win it all.  

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The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants will be competing in the 2010 World Series which commences on Wednesday night.  OK, let me rephrase that: The San Francisco Giants will do battle with the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series which gets underway on Wednesday in San Francisco.  Even reworded it has the same meaning and shock value too.  

Crazy to think this but these two underdog teams each from the West will be representing their respective leagues in the World Series.  This is one of the most surprising pairings in quite some time yet still should be a great series.  

Here are five things you ought to know and why you should tune into FOX for this one.  Don’t worry my fellow Philadelphians, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver are not among these reasons.  

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Don’t Mess With Texas!  

The New York Yankees have learned that very well over the past few days. The Texas Rangers went from being a forgotten entity of the AL to now just one game away from representing it in the World Series.  

They have proved that they are the AL’s best team, and did so in underdog fashion. This would be the first time in team history that they would be going to the World Series.  

So now Texas looks to take out the defending champions and book their ticket to the 2010 World Series.  

Texas in a World Series almost seems too good to be true for members of the Lone Star State.  

Here are five reasons why it would be good for the game of baseball as well.  

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The New York Yankees are all but out of their ALCS match-up with the Texas Rangers. 

With the exception of just a few innings, they have been dominated throughout and should have been swept.  Their dramatic comeback in Game 1 is the only reason that they’re still in this series.  Now they will need more of that comeback magic to survive.

Many factors have gone into the Rangers’ dominance in this series. Lots of ideas have been kicked around, but one that never gets mentioned is the fact that the Rangers are better than the almighty Yankees. 

Is this true?  Well, it sure looks that way after four games, though a Yankee comeback is always possible.

Here are five ways the Yankees can climb back into this series.

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The Texas Rangers could very easily be up 2-0 on the New York Yankees right now and quite frankly should be.  They blew a huge opportunity on Friday night and they know it.  These MLB Playoffs are all about seizing the moment and making the most of your opportunity.  While the Rangers have done that well thus far in October, they could have had the defending World Champions on the ropes.  Now, the series turns to the Bronx with Cliff Lee opposing Andy Pettite in a pivotal Game 3 on Monday night.  Lee is undefeated in the playoffs and has owned the Yankees throughout his career.  Pettite is perhaps the best post-season pitcher of this era and has numerous rings to show for.  

This series has taken on an identity of its own and should provide even more fireworks now as it shifts to New York.  So far, the Rangers have gotten the better of the champs and are in striking distance of putting this thing out of reach.  The Yankees, now with the home-field advantage will continue to fight for their playoff lives and prove why they are the game’s best in October.

Let’s now recount the top performances in the early part of this year’s ALCS.

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Even after just two games in this NLCS, one thing is as clear as ever: The two-time defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies have their hands full this time around.  These San Francisco Giants are not “your father’s Giants.”  This team has gotten it done all season long with pitching and timely hitting when necessary, and present a very tough challenge for the Phillies in the NLCS.

The Phillies, hoping to get to a third consecutive World Series, are playing a different type of game this time around and it has worked to fruition.  It’s been their pitching, not offense, that has brought them here. Their H20 rotation of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt has carried them as their bats were often silenced this season.

The Giants on the other hand have an entirely different lineup than they did in the beginning of the season and caught fire down the stretch to rip the NL West away from the San Diego Padres.  Pitching alone may not be enough for San Francisco, but Cody Ross has made sure that pitching isn’t the only thing the Giants can do as well as the Phillies in this series.  

With two games in the rearview mirror, it’s now a best-of-five with the Giants holding home-field advantage, hosting the next three games in consecutive days.  This may go down to the wire.  Someone will need to swing the pendulum of momentum out West before the series shifts back to Philadelphia, if necessary.

Now, let’s go ahead and bear witness to some of the better performances over the weekend.  

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The Philadelphia Phillies have been synonymous with the NLCS as of late, more particularly though, the World Series.  Throughout their recent run in their current “dynasty,” they have supplied fans with many unforgettable moments.  Those along with others in their grim past culminate to make up this list.

Currently, the Phillies are a consistent team that is ever-improving, but this was not always the case.  Over the past 127 years, the Phillies are the losingest franchise in all of sports.  Their fans take in this dubious distinction with a strange sense of pride.  I personally recall being at Citizens Bank Park in 2007 to see their 10,000th loss.  In particular, I recall a loud “BOOOOOOOOO” in unison at the end, this was symbolic of just how bad this team was.  Yet, ironically, 2007 was the turning point, and now it’s recalled as the “beginning” of this “dynasty.”

Now, let’s recount those great NLCS moments throughout the Phillies’ history, most of which have come from the history that has been made over the past few seasons.  These moments have given Philly fans chills during “chilly” October nights in the City of Brotherly Love and will most surely give many of us chills all over again.

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The Yankees again proved to be the most playoff-efficient team of all.  They bullied Minnesota right out of their own home early on and then finished them off in the Bronx.  An all-around dominant performance from the Yankees shows that they will be tough to beat once again in these playoffs.  There may be only one team that could challenge them this season.  Can I get a…”RE-MATCH?!”

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The 2010 season has indeed been “The Year of the Pitcher.”  This was perhaps the most common theme in the bigs and has remained so throughout the playoffs thus far.  Pitching is making a comeback as hitters have been stymied at the plate by superior arms on the mound.  Names like Tim Lincecum, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels took center stage in Round 1.  

There was no place for offense in the NL’s 1st Round as many household name sluggers struggled mightily, some albeit in victory.  Offenses were shut down by better pitching.  For example, the NL’s top offense in Cincinnati recorded just 4 runs in three games against Philadelphia (all 4 came in Game 2.)

The only explanation for what occurred in Round 1 could just be the entire regular season.  Some of these elite pitchers appear to have gotten stronger as the year progressed and now, dangerously, they may all be at the top of their game.  

Now, without further adieu, we recognize the best of the best and the ugliest of all in these slides.  Feel free to leave comments as you wish.  

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