I have given myself a good twenty four hours to digest the New York Yankees recent signing of Randy Winn. I like many Yankees fan are happy they have finally filled their hole in left field, but I like many Yankees fans, scratch that, like most Baseball fans are wondering the same thing. Randy Winn is your answer for left field?

This was one of the worst free agent markets I can remember in recent years, no team made any real big splashes in the free agent market. Even the Yankees bitter rivals made weird signings like Mike Cameron. You let Jason Bay go and went after Mike Cameron? Ok. The signing even made Red Sox fans like The Wheelhouse’s very own “The Sweet Nasty” Chris Cause scratch his head. Cause and I have a war raging on which of our teams will have more team strikeouts…from their hitters. It’s going to get crazy!

Back to Randy Winn signing with the Yankees; I liked Randy Winn when he played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (yes back when they had “Devil” in their name) and for the first couple of seasons with the Seattle Mariners. He was a decent player and back in the days of the Rays he would be the best player on the field next to Rocco Baldelli, who was also rumored to be the left field solution in New York. Randy Winn was a decent ballplayer and good role player in the position as a lead-off or #2 hitter.

Randy Winn is now 35 years old and coming off of a decline year in San Francisco. A freaking decline year!? This is your answer to letting go Johnny Damon who gave you four great seasons and had a great season for a guy his age by hitting 24 homers in the new Yankees bandbox in the Bronx. I am not happy with the signing but I’m a Yankees fan and have been spoiled the last fourteen years.

After trying to make sense of the deal and giving myself some reasoning behind the deal I have hopefully come up with something. Randy Winn signs a 1 year deal to play left field in the Bronx where he will probably battle for a job with whom I believe to be very underrated, Brett Gardner. What can I say I like a player that hustles and I don’t believe Gardner gets as much credit as he does for the pinstripes.

Back to my reasoning on the Winn signing; 1 year deal, 35 year old decent role player. 2011 who becomes a free agent you might ask that would make a great left fielder? The answer would be Carl Crawford of the Tampa Bay Rays. I got this idea after reading a great article from bleacherreport.com and it makes absolute sense.

Crawford is entering his contract year in Tampa. Tampa doesn’t spend money and surely has probably some amazing prospect talent in Triple-A which can easily replace Carl Crawford in left field. They will have no probably saying farewell to Crawford.

I’m a big fan of Carl Crawford. Anytime I play a Baseball video game he’s a guy that I want on my New York Yankees ballclub. Which I’m sure is the same reasoning Brian Cashman will have when he eventually approaches Crawford in the 2010 offseason.

Crawford is a gamer and has shades of similar ability as Johnny Damon. Decent fielding ability, extremely quick on the base paths and puts the bat to the ball when he gets up. Carl Crawford in pinstripes would make me a very happy boy.

So here is to hoping that is the reasoning behind not re-signing Johnny Damon and signing Randy Winn of all people to fill the left field void this season. If Carl Crawford is the answer I will take it. I will miss the time Johnny Damon put in his time in pinstripes, never thought I would like a ball player who at one time would destroy while playing for the Red Sox but he quickly became a fan favorite for his attitude. Farewell Johnny D!

Randy Winn or Brett Gardner please do well this season…somebody do well!

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse and at www.errorfm.com @ 2am ET/11pm PT

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows and see all the latest happenings with the show at www.wheelhouseradio.com

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My beloved Boston Red Sox came to terms with Adrian Beltre on a 1 year/$9 million deal, with a player option for 2011 for $5 million. While that news is not surprising (or important enough to break through as one of the top stories on ESPN.com’s front page…), it is significant to Red Sox fans, Yankees fans, Mike Lowell fans, and fans who think that money is wasted in Major League Baseball.

First, let me make the case for why this is a good deal: (Stop laughing. I can do this…) Beltre is only 30 years old, so he should be in his theoretical prime after an already lengthy career which started very young. He is one of the best fielding third basemen in all of baseball. (And, after last year’s injury, hopefully he wears a cup now, so he could be even better!) So his defense adds to an already Gold Glove level infield at every position with Kevin Youkilis at 1st, Dustin Pedroia at 2nd, and Marco Scutaro at SS, when clearly the Sox have put en emphasis on pitching and defense. While he was injured for most of last year, his previous free agent year was a season for the ages as a 3rd baseman. In 2004, he hit .334, with 48 HR and 121 RBI, so if he even comes remotely close to that, he’s a bargain. And if he doesn’t work out, it’s a 1 year deal. (He’ll never take the $5M player option – not as long as Scott Boras is his agent.) And the Sox score another victory over Scott Boras. At the Winter Meetings, Boras wanted a 4-5 year deal for around $14M per year. So anytime you back Boras down, it’s a win. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

So those were the rose-colored glasses look at the facts. Here’s the rest: the guy is a .265 hitter, who has 20-25 HR power and can knock in 80-85 runs. He’s been that way throughout his career, save for one year. He’s the right-handed JD Drew! Which is one thing, but when you’re already paying $14 million a year for the REAL JD Drew that looks like $23M for a pair of 6-7 hitters in your line up, who HOPEFULLY will hit .270 with 40 HR and 150 RBI COMBINED! Is that where opposing pitchers give pause in the the Sox line up? Does CC Sabathia take a moment in the 7th inning in late August and say, “Hmmm…I could pitch to Beltre, but if he gets on, then I have JD Drew up after him. Wow. Um…I know what I’ll do. I’ll just pitch to both of them, since they both strike out 100 times a year, while only hitting .265. And who knows? Maybe one of them hurts themselves putting pine tar on the bat.” Here’s your 2010 Red Sox starting line up: Jacoby Ellsbury, Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Youkilis, David Ortiz, Beltre, Drew, Mike Cameron, Scutaro. At best, it’s a lot of tough outs, who can grind out offense with big innings of several singles and doubles. At worst, its 5 guys in a row who will whiff 100 times, without a 30 HR guy anywhere. I guess it’s like the HR budget of a company in December: if you don’t spend all the money, the ownership will give you less next year.

How big an upgrade is Beltre really on the defensive front? The Sox said publicly that they were ready to start the season with Casey Kotchman at 1st and Youkilis at 3rd. Kotchman is a Gold Glove-caliber 1st baseman. It’s why they traded for him in the first place. Same for Youk at 3rd. So…where’s the upgrade? Well, Beltre has better offensive potential right? Well:

Beltre:

2009: 111 games, 449 AB, .265, 8 HR, 44 RBI, $13.4M

Avg from 2006-2009: Beltre: .270, 25 HR, 88 RBI

Kotchman:

2009: 126 games, 385 AB, .268, 7 HR, 48 RBI, $2.88M

Avg from 2007-2009: .279, 11 HR, 63 RBI

So they were almost the same in 2009 and Beltre cost about $11M more a year for 10 more HR a year and 25 more RBI. 10 HR and 25 RBI cost $11M a year in MLB now? Yikes!

I even read how moving from the spacious Safeco Field to the friendly confines of Fenway Park will surely help Adrian. The .179 career batting average at his new home would argue differently. But it does get better at some of the other AL East parks, like Tropicana Field, where he hits .185 and Yankee Stadium, where he hits .219. See both of those are better than .179! I can’t believe he was still available. How can you not sign this guy?

Not to mention there is still a pretty prominent third baseman on the Red Sox roster in Mike Lowell. They tried to give him away to Texas AND pay $9M of his $12M contract and the trade was voided. So now what? He stays and plays primary pinch hitter? Right, the Sox are an American League team. He plays DH? Nope, they already have one of those…hopefully. Platoon at DH? $24M for 2 guys who can’t really play in the field and that I guarantee I could beat in a foot race to 1st right now, without warming up. Awesome! We are stampeding towards Mike Lowell being named the 3rd baseman on the Red Sox All-Time Designated for Assignment All-Stars, with Julio Lugo playing short and John Smoltz and Brad Penny as your starters. (So I hope Mike Lowell like St Louis…)

Look, of course I will root for this team. One of the best things about not being in Boston is that I don’t have to listen to every radio host and read every writer’s doom and gloom prediction. But it’s hard to get excited about them. They will look to win every 5-4 and 3-2 game on the schedule. A lot of money comes off the books at the end of 2010, so here’s hoping for a capable current season – and a ferocious 2011.

Chris Cause is the co-host for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at http://www.wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com

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World Series:

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees

This could quite possibly be one of the most evenly matched World Series in quite sometimes. Instead of breaking down the series like I have throughout the playoffs I thought we would spotlight each area of the teams when it comes to their pitching, hitting and defense. This is going to be on paper one of the best World Series to date; let’s hope that this transcends out on the diamond.

Pitching:

We start by looking at the ace’s of each staff when it comes to Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia, both former teammates in Cleveland. These two pitchers are the last two reigning American League Cy Young winners and a Game 1 start between the two is going to be a fun game to watch. This is going to be an “old-school” game as two southpaw aces takes the hill in the fall classic.

If the Phillies don’t trade for Cliff Lee before the deadline then the Phillies don’t make the World Series. That’s how important Cliff Lee has been to this Phillies staff. The same can be said for CC Sabathia as the Yankees picked him up in the offseason and have helped take the Yankees from missing the playoffs last season to the greatest stage in all of Baseball starting Wednesday night.

When you look at the probable Game 2 starters this is when things can start to lean towards a direction of one team being better then the other. As it stands right now as of writing this, we will see AJ Burnett vs. Pedro Martinez in Game 2. There is history with Pedro, the Yankees and Yankee Stadium and should be a fun game to watch on Thursday night.

AJ Burnett has been shaky at best throughout the playoffs and has been the Yankees weak point in their starting rotation in the playoffs. Pedro Martinez on the other hand has had a great postseason pitching for the Phillies in what could be the end of a great career with this series. But what we tend to forget about Pedro is that he just started pitching in the big leagues again this past August. Both of these pitchers could be the weakness in their starting rotation because you don’t know what you’re going to get out of Pedro.

As for the potential Game 3 starters you have to look at another matchup of lefties as Andy Pettitte takes on Cole Hamels. Andy Pettitte has been masterful throughout the playoffs helping the Yankees clinch their ALDS and ALCS series victories. Cole Hamels on the other hand has been the weakness of the Phillies pitching staff, much like AJ Burnett has been for the Yankees. If Cole Hamels was the ace the Phillies thought he was then they would have never made runs at Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez.

You have to figure the Yankees & Phillies will both be going with three man rotations with Sabathia, Burnett & Pettitte and Lee, Martinez, Hamels. That puts Chamberlain & Gaudin in the bullpen for the Yankees and Blanton & Happ in the bullpen for the Phillies throughout the World Series. That’s the next area of the two League Championship teams that we would look at next.

The bullpens of these two teams have been where they have both struggled throughout the postseason. The Phillies came into this postseason with a struggling bullpen and a closer who was no longer lights out. As for the Yankees they had a bridge to Mariano Rivera with Phil Hughes in the 8th inning setup role.

Once the postseason hit these two teams flipped roles as the shut down 7th & 8th inning bridge to Mariano Rivera with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes started to crack in the ALCS. The Phillies on the other hand saw their middle relief struggle at times with the Dodgers but Brad Lidge was “lights out” again. The Phillies were thankful that they had pushed a big lead over the Dodgers to hold onto their leads while Mariano Rivera had to pitch six out saves to hold onto the Yankees lead in the late inning games.

When it comes to the starting rotation and the bullpen you have to give the pitching edge to the New York Yankees. They picked up CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett up in the offseason for a reason, while Andy Pettitte could be a #1 starter in most clubs while he will be the #3 starter on the Yankees rotation. When it comes to bullpens the Yankees have Mariano Rivera who will go down most likely as being the best postseason closer of all-time. Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain should bounce back in the World Series with the pressure of winning the Championship being so close. Look for David Robertson to make a name for himself on the big stage for the Yankees.

As for the Phillies I will go back to what I said earlier that the Phillies aren’t in the World Series without Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez. They struggled with Cole Hamels being their ace and had to go out to improve their rotation. While Lee will be the foundation of their starting rotation you don’t know what you’re getting with Martinez or Hamels. When it comes to bullpens and the pressure of the World Series on you have to figure the Phillies bullpen will break eventually in this series.

Pitching Edge: New York Yankees

Hitting:

Just like their pitching these two teams are blueprint of each other’s lineup. They both have great leadoff hitters, a run producing core of the lineup and decent 7, 8, & 9 hitters to round off the lineup. As we go 1-9 we will look at the projective lineup for each team in this series.

At the top of the lineup you have the team’s two shortstops, Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter. Not only are they their shortstop’s but their team’s leaders in the clubhouse. Derek Jeter has been named Mr. November while Jimmy Rollins has won an NL MVP award. They have both been postseason heroes for their franchises since they came up to the big leagues. When it comes to both of these players there is no way you can say one is better then the other. When it comes to the leadoff hitters they are both even.

The #2 hitters are Johnny Damon and Shane Victorino. Victorino could be compared to a younger version of what Johnny Damon once was while Damon has evolved into one of the better veteran hitters in the postseason in the last decade. But when it comes to these two hitters you have to give the edge to Johnny Damon of the New York Yankees. He’s a veteran, a veteran in the postseason and has the potential to being clutch on the big stage.

Now onto the core of the lineup with the #3 hole on the team where the run production begins to develop off these players bats. For Philly its Chase Utley and for New York it’s Mark Teixeira. Both of these players have been hot and cold throughout the postseason. But when you matchup them up you have to look at giving it to Mark Teixeira. Teix is a potential AL MVP winner this year and has been criticized with his lack of play in the postseason thus far, look for Mark to show his critiques what he can do on the big stage.

The #4 hitter, the cleanup spot, the player who is supposed to put up the big numbers and when it comes to these two teams they may have the two best #4 hitters in all of Baseball. Ryan Howard of the Phillies and Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees, two former league MVP’s. Both of these players have put up huge numbers in the regular season and postseason and do their job when needed. When you match them up against one another you can not give the edge to either team, it is even. When it comes to these two it all comes down to who will produce more in the fall classic.

The #5 hitter in the lineups is where you give the edge to the Phillies. Jayson Werth of the Phillies and Hideki Matsui of the New York Yankees will most likely be in the five hole for the World Series. Jayson Werth has had a heck of season for Philadelphia producing 36 homers and 90+ RBI’s. Not bad for a player who had signed a six digit deal when he first came to Philly after bouncing around with a bunch of teams. Matsui on the other hand is player with a bad knee still and is most likely appearing in pinstripes for the last time. The Phillies get the edge in this spot with the way Jayson Werth has played throughout the postseason.

Now there is something that most people aren’t talking about when it comes to a weakness in the Phillies lineup and that is in the probable #6 spot for Philadelphia. Raul Ibanez is battling an abdominal tear that will require surgery at the end of the season which can explain his lack of production in the postseason thus far. As for the Yankees they have veteran catcher Jorge Posada who will more then likely get the nod as the starting catcher throughout the entire World Series. When it comes to this spot in the order you have to give it to the Yankees with the potential lack of production of Raul Ibanez due to his injury.

Robinson Cano and Pedro Feliz will probably make up the seventh spot in the order for each team’s lineup. While Pedro Feliz has developed into a great third baseman for the National League Champions, he does not compare to Robinson Cano who could be that “quiet” player on the big stage that makes a name for him self. I believe Robinson Cano could be the World Series MVP at the end of the series if the Yankees win it all. He fits the role player who comes up big perfectly giving the Yankees the edge in this spot in the order.

The eighth spot is where the Yankees have struggled in the postseason with many in New York calling for a change in right field, the position where Nick Swisher patrols this season. While Nick Swisher may be a great defensive right fielder as shown throughout the postseason, when it comes to hitting he has struggled with the New York media calling for a switch with Brett Gardner during the ALCS. As for the Phillies you have catcher Carlos Ruiz who has hit well throughout the entire postseason batting .300 in the NLDS and NLCS. With the struggles Swisher has been having you have to give the edge to the Phillies in the eight spot of their lineup.

Now to round out lineup I am placing the Yankees centerfielder Melky Cabrera up against who I would assume would be the Phillies designated hitter in the AL games. Then match the pitchers who will be more then likely hitting in the NL games. As for the AL side of the series you have to figure Matt Stairs will go up against the right AJ Burnett in Game 2 and Ben Francisco will go up against his former teammate and lefty CC Sabathia in Game 1.

This is all prospective and they may go with Stairs for both games due to the short porch in right or even go with Greg Dobbs. I’m not 100% sure and these are just clearly a prediction of what could be filling the DH hole for the National League Champions. Either way I’m going to give the edge to the Yankees, like Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera could become a household name after this series. He reminds me of a young Bernie Williams, coming through the Yankees farm system and developing into one of the league’s best Centerfielders. I have also always felt that unless you have a great bench player at DH (like the Dodgers had Jim Thome) you could be in trouble. Matt Stairs could be that guy for the Phillies.

As for the pitchers that will be hitting you have to give it to the Phillies. They have been hitting all season long and Cliff Lee has become a great hitter since coming to the National League. As for the Yankees, CC Sabathia is a great hitting pitcher and AJ Burnett spent time in the NL earlier in his career so he should be able to swing the bat as well. Either way this gives the edge to the Phillies when it comes to the NL ballpark. But since the All-Star game gave the edge to the American League, overall give the #9 spot to the Yankees.

Hitting Edge: New York Yankees

Defense:

Defense kind of goes unnoticed in Baseball. Like in Football, defense also wins Championships. Look at what poor defense did to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALCS. It gave the Yankees breathing room in almost every game they won in the ALCS, including a Game 2 victory that came off an error. The Yankees will not see the same poor Defense that they saw from the Angels.

The Philadelphia Phillies may be one of the best defensive teams in Baseball. They are a sound ballclub that has no holes in their defensive side of the ball. From Victorino to Ruiz they are a great defensive ballclub. Even a big guy like Ryan Howard can play defensive baseball like a shortstop. The Phillies will not be making the same errors that the Angels did against the Yankees in the ALCS.

As for the Yankees they do not get the credit they deserve when it comes to the way they play defensive baseball. Mark Teixeira has developed into a gold glove first baseman in the Postseason alone. His play at first has helped keep the teams the Yankees were playing at bay while Nick Swisher and Melky Cabrera provide great arms in the outfield. Where the Yankees have flaws is with Johnny Damon who does not have a good arm and Robinson Cano who at times can become a lazy second baseman.

When it comes to giving the edge you have to give it to the Philadelphia Phillies who have been defensively sound throughout the entire postseason while the New York Yankees have had some struggles. Even New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter has had a tough time defensively in the postseason and he tends to be the most automatic defensive player on the Yankees. It’s going to be an interesting series from a defensive standpoint with little to no errors throughout the entire series.

Defensive Edge: Philadelphia Phillies

Overall:

After breaking down the pitching, hitting and defense of these two teams it’s safe to say that this could quite possibly be the most even World Series we have seen in sometimes. It’s going to take a mistake here or a double down the line there to determine who the World Champion is when it’s all said and done. This is what I consider in my opinion the best matchup we have seen in the World Series in the last decade and hopefully will come off that when we they start the series Wednesday night.

Both of these teams are evenly matched with slight edges in various categories. They truly are the two best teams in each league and we as Baseball fans will get everything they have in every game that is played. But when the dust settles there will be one team left standing atop the Baseball world.

That team that will be hoisting the World Championship above their heads at the end of the series will be the New York Yankees. This series can be compared to the 1996 World Series when the Yankees came into the series against the Atlanta Braves where the Braves were the defending champions, an even matchup and a good percentage felt would repeat as World Champions.

But just like in that series the New York Yankees prevailed and will do so in the 2009 World Series. There will be no blowout games and it should be close for the most part. These two teams are the most deserving franchises to be there and should give Baseball fans across the United States a show.

I see the New York Yankees raising the banner of their 27th World Championship at the end of this series. It is going to be fun to watch and could quite possibly be the best World Series we have seen in quite sometime. Let the games begin.

Prediction: New York Yankees win series 4-2

World Series MVP: Mariano Rivera

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at http://www.wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows & see all the latest happenings with the show at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

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ALCS: New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels

These two teams are shaping up to be “teams of destiny” in the 2009 MLB playoffs. One team is riding on the foundation of tradition, to bring a Championship back to the state that has celebrated it 26 times. While the other teams is riding on the foundation of pure emotion, dedicating their magical run in the playoffs to fallen team mate Nick Adenhart.

Both of these teams have helped make up the American League elite along with the Boston Red Sox in the last decade. It only seems fitting that these two franchises would meet in the last year of the current decade’s playoffs in Major League Baseball. The Yankees last won a World Championship in 2000, the Angels in 2002 when they were still “repping” Anaheim.

The Los Angeles Angels in my opinion shocked the Baseball world by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in 3 games. Nobody including myself saw the Angels shutting the Red Sox down like they did. It amazes me that Lackey and Weaver were able to out pitch Lester & Beckett in Games 1 & 2 in the ALDS. On paper you would have figured it to be in the Red Sox favor but I believe the Angels have that feeling that they are the underdogs in the American League.

It goes back to being fueled by the desire and love they have to win the World Championship in the memory of Nick Adenhart. No doubt if the Angels get by in the ALCS they will be touted on a national televised level as a team with an actual “angel” watching over them. It would be a storybook tale for broadcasters around the nation to crow about; if they haven’t already.

The Angels are lead by of all people Torii Hunter, the centerfielder who has become Commander and Chief of the Angels shift where many veterans surface. The hitting is rounded out by Vlad Guerrero, Bobby Abreu and the surging Kendry Morales. Broadcasters love to introduce players to a national audience in October and it appears that Morales just may be that player this season.

The New York Yankees on the other hand did not shock the Baseball world by sweeping the AL Central Division Champion Minnesota Twins. While the Twins played with a lot of heart and emotion they clearly showed what it’s like to be a team with little playoff experience. In Game 2 & 3 they could have scored to take the lead or tie it but over ran the base and got tagged out on two great fielding plays by the Yankees. In the playoffs you need to be mistake free at all times and the Yankees for the most part were.

Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte; the starting pitchers for the Yankees in Games 1 – 3 combined for an ERA total of 1.42. You need numbers like that from your pitchers in October and for the time being it appears the pick up of Sabathia and Burnett, while resigning Pettitte is showing to come off in a positive way for the AL East Champions. While the bullpen looked for the most part good throughout the three game series, guys like Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, Phil Hughes and of course Mariano Rivera were able to hold the Twins offense at bay aiding the offense to take the lead.

The largest story out of the Yankees/Twins series by far is resurgence of one Alex Rodriguez in the playoffs. Never before in his time in pinstripes has A-Rod been this clutch when the Yankees needed him the most. A game tying 2-run homer in Game 2 to keep the Yankees alive and eventually get the win, combined with another game tying homerun in Game 3 helped the Yankee offense close the door on the Twins. If A-Rod is able to continue to drive in runs and put up these numbers the Yankees will be a dangerous team to contend with.

Onto the Yankees/Angels matchup in the American League Championship Series; for the most part these two teams are reflections of one another. Good pitching, decent bullpen and amazing offense. The two teams are coming into this series extremely confident due to the sweeps they pulled off in the ALDS; I would figure the Angels more then the Yankees due to being able to finally get the Red Sox monkey off their back. To find differences in these two teams is hard to come by.

But in the differences there are you can pinpoint where one team will succeed in this series over the other. In my point of view the differences lie in the veterans when it comes to both team’s lineups. The Yankees top to bottom have 9 hitters who have played in the postseason within the last decade. The lineup alone is a very intimidating lineup that an opposing pitcher can not been intimidated by. If a pitcher gets easily intimidated by the top to bottom, no relief in sight lineup the Yankees have then they will get broken down (i.e. Yankees/Twins Game 1).

If you do not get intimidated by the Yankees lineup (i.e. Nick Blackburn & Carl Pavano) you will succeed against the Bronx Bombers. But if your lineup does not produce enough runs to shut the door on the Yankees (i.e. Games 2 & 3) then you will be facing a huge problem as the Yankee lineup comes closer to the late innings where they seem to play the best.

The Angels lineup will top to bottom decent as well needs to hit the All-Star Yankee pitching rotation that awaits them in Games 1-3. Like the lineup, they can not go into the game being easily intimidated by veterans CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte. If there is any one of these “Bronx 3″ that the Angels can hit hard it will be AJ Burnett in Game 2 because he did not pitch well against the Twins in the ALDS Game 2.

When it comes down to it to me the Yankees are playing at an all-time high right now, the likes that we haven’t seen since the run they made in the late 90s. They are playing well; they are confident and want another Championship. While it would be nice to see the Angels win the ALCS and the Championship in the memory of Nick Adenhart, I believe the magical run ends in the Bronx.

This series will be intense, this series will be fun to watch and both of these teams will put it all on the line. This matchup has the potential to be a great American League Championship Series. But I will take the homer pick in this one (surprise, surprise) and choose the New York Yankees to be the American League representative in the World Series this season. The series will go 6 games with the Angels being able to take it AJ Burnett (Game 2 starter) and what one would figure to be Joba Chamberlain in Game 4. CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte will be the glue in the rotation while the offense will continue to produce the runs needed to be the American League Champions.

Prediction: Yankees win series 4-2

ALCS MVP: Alex Rodriguez

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at http://www.wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows & see all the latest happenings with the show at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

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Now that we have covered the National League, now onto the American League with the ALDS preview. One of these four teams will have home field advantage in the World Series so the American League already has an advantage going into the Postseason.

The American League and the National League have traded the World Series trophy between the leagues the last couple of season. So if history should repeat itself all signs point to the World Series trophy returning to the American League. Even putting history aside you would have to figure that the favorites for the Championship come out of the American League. With three of the four teams holding some of the best records in Baseball it would appear on paper that this would be the more superior team so far this year.

ALDS:

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

Now this preview is being written by a Yankee fan. A Yankee fan that had to watch the Red Sox beat the Yankees 8 straight times this season, plus two championships in the decade and watch the Angels defeat the Yankees in the ALDS for the better part of the decade. So to watch these two teams go at it again in the ALDS is a dream come true. As a Yankee fan I hope they beat each other up so badly in the ALDS that they can barely play in the ALCS to wait for the Yankees…enough of the Yankee fan mumbo jumbo and onto the series.

Despite rooting for pinstripes my entire life you have to give credit where credit is do when it comes to these two franchises. For a better part of the decade these two teams have dominated the American League at different points making the postseason most of the time with three championships between the both of them in the last seven years.

When you look at these two teams on paper it appears these two teams are very similar with certain edges for each squad. The Red Sox will more then likely be going with the trio of Beckett, Lester and Buchholz while the Angels will be putting the trio of Saunders, Lackey and Kazmir. You have two of the three Red Sox starters with minimal playoff experience while only one of the Angels starters (Kazmir) has minimal playoff experience.

Pitching wins championships and putting a young starter on the mound in a nationally televised game in the Postseason can be beneficial or nerve-racking. That’s where the bullpen’s come in and just like their starters both teams are evenly matched with more of the edge going to the Red Sox. Michael Bowden and Daniel Bard could become the K-Rod/Adam Wainwright household name at the end of the playoffs. They are the future of the bullpen and having Papelbon as your closer isn’t too shabby (what is this the 90s?) either.

The Angles on the other hand have Brian Fuentes, the same Brian Fuentes who blew a save not to long ago in Fenway. Back when the four letter network was sold that the Angels mentally could not play in Boston and for the most part they were right. The Red Sox for the last five years have been inside this Angels squad’s head and that will be the story TBS/ESPN/MLB Network and anyone else who considers themselves to be a Baseball analyst will harp on for this entire series. The LA Angels can either use that criticism to fuel their fire or let it get to their heads and let the Red Sox slip right into the ALCS.

What doesn’t get talked about a lot in Baseball circles is how different this Red Sox team looks compared to the first half of the season. They had heart; they were dominating the American League (and the Yankees) and were on top of the world looking like they would coast to the World Series. Then the 2nd half hit and they became a different team, lost 9 of 10 to New York and walked into the playoffs by losing to the Toronto Blue Jays.

If the Angels were playing the first half Red Sox I’d go with the Red Sox. But since the 2nd half this team has played flat and I feel like the Angels will be playing to get people to stop saying that they “fear the Red Sox.” The Angels will play well but this is Boston and its October.

The Red Sox morph into a different team every postseason and usually play better then they did all year. While the Terry Francona/Mike Scioscia matchup is appealing; the Angels will have a tough time getting this “rally monkey” off their back again in the ALDS. The Red Sox are in just more of a competitive division then the Angels and are used to the “big game” atmosphere. It’s going to be a great series, quite possibly edging out the Cards/Dodgers series as the potential best Divisional Series matchup, but as much as it pains me I like the Boston Red Sox in 5 games.

Prediction: Boston Red Sox win series 3-2

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

I told you in the beginning of the blog that I am a Yankee fan. If there is one sports franchise that I live and die with it is the New York Yankees. For the last couple years it has not been the greatest of times being a Yankee fan in October, especially last season. But for the first time in well a long time, I feel like this Yankee team may be the team to do it. 103 wins, an actual pitching rotation and hopefully 11 wins away from a championship.

But I digress from my Yankee homer banter to take a look at this five game set between the Yankees & Twins. The Yankees on paper clearly outmatch the Twins in every single category except hits off of a hefty trash bag. With that being said the Twins do have one thing going for them that we aren’t sure the Yankees have yet and that is the heart to win.

The Minnesota Twins are a team of who are you and you’re a major league ball player on their squad. The only noteable names on the roster that the everyday casual Baseball fan may know is Joe Mauer, Joe Nathan and Justin Morneau. That everyday casual Baseball fan doesn’t know Morneau is out for the season and then when that everyday casual Baseball fan finds out they are calling for a sweep by the Yankees. But I’m not writing this for the everyday casual Baseball fan and more importantly I’m sick of talking about everyday casual Baseball fan. Go back to watching Grey Anatomy!

Being the underdogs and being written out is what is going to motivate the Twins. They could either be the 2007 Colorado Rockies or the 2008 Chicago White Sox. The path they choose will be based in Game’s 1 & 2 as they face two reasons why the Yankees signed them in the offseason in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett.

As we will hear over and over again, pitching wins Championships. A solid rotation and a shut down bullpen is what will win Championships in October. Add that “kick” of a perfect lineup and you will be rolling down the streets of the town you represent covered in “tickertape.”

That pitching that wins Championships is where the Twins are lacking. As it appears when I write this on Tuesday night @ 11:30pm ET (for those keeping score at home), that the Twins will make Brian Duensing (a rookie who only became a starter at the end of the season making 9 career starts before Wednesday’s Game 1) the Game 1 starter while it appears Twins ace (and I say that term loosely because the guy could be a #2 at best but more then likely #3 starter for most clubs not named the Nationals) Scott Baker will be the Game 2 starter. The two pitchers that Twins are putting up against the Yankees will be taking on CC SABATHIA AND AJ BURNETT. You know the two most coveted pitchers in last season’s free agency? Yeah that doesn’t look good.

While the “bad news bears” offense of the Minnesota Twins led by future AL MVP Joe Mauer takes on the solid “front to back” (wait, what?) offense of the New York Yankees. Morneau is not in that lineup there is no protection for Mauer unless you think Michael Cuddyer or Jason Kubel or still solid replacements for the former AL MVP. Believe me they are not. Mauer is going into this series knowing that he is going to have to put on a memorable game after game…after game for the rest of the Postseason.

I will also go on record (and god I hope this doesn’t bite me in the ass) that Alex Rodriguez will have a very solid Postseason and when I mean solid, much better then any other Postseason he has ever played in. You know the numbers that show he choked (.200 BA, only hits homers when the Yanks are down by 5 with nobody on base) in the postseason since putting on pinstripes. A-Rod is on a mission from the Yankee gods to bring the 27th ring back to the Bronx.

With all those factors leading into this ALDS series I have got to my Yankee cap down off my head (while most of you don’t believe that I’m sure) and still say the Yankees will take this series. They have the offense, they have the pitching and they have the leadership to potentially reach the goal the Steinbrenners set every season (to fill the really expensive seats, I’m kidding its Goal #2) and bring home a Championship. Whether or not the Twins were playing the Yankees I respect and enjoy watching how well they have played to make it this far. That’s what will make them a team that won’t go down without a fight in the Postseason. But I will take my New York Yankees to defeat the Minnesota Twins in 4 games setting up what I’m predicting to be the “heart attack series” of the decade…again.

Prediction: Yankees win series 3-1

Let me know what you think of my picks for the ALDS! You can e-mail me at wheelhouseradio.jp@gmail.com or comment this blog! Check out The Wheelhouse every Sunday – Thursday LIVE @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse or at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

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Can we get a hold of ourselves here? Everyone just sit back and relax for a minute. The Sandman isn’t going anywhere yet. No, not our favorite drunken wrestler who launches chairs at partygoers in Yonkers, NY. I mean arguably the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera. It seems that this year, the New York media found their rope to latch on to. Rather than beat the dead horse of A-Rod’s steroid scandal (I guess hip surgery is what makes reporters forget things like “cheating to get ahead in the game.”), all the New York papers want to talk about is the shaky inning Mariano had on Saturday afternoon when the Yankees took on the Tampa Bay Rays. One New York paper went as far as to say that while this year’s Yankee team is a special one, what would happen if this is also the year Mo falls apart?

Excuse me? Did I just read that correctly? Did the New York Daily News try and insinuate that possibly, after allowing less than one walk per nine innings (in fact, one walk per twelve innings, to be exact), and having a rough outing, that Mariano Rivera could be on the decline of his lights out career. You have got to be kidding me. The audacity of this idiot’s insinuation boggles my mind. The only reason Mariano even walked a guy, was because Joe Girardi had another managing blunder, and ordered Mo to intentionally walk Evan Longoria.

Let me dissect that one for you. Mariano Rivera, the most dominant closer in all of the major league, is told to intentionally walk a guy who hadn’t had a hit since May 30, and who is 2-for-7 lifetime against him. The guy wasn’t even at 100%. He had a bum hip, and you really want to intentionally walk him? That’s absolutely a travesty in my eyes. Do you not trust your closer, Old Faithful himself? Way to go, Joe. It bit you in the ass, because the winning run was from Longoria’s walk. Great job, there. Glad we dumped off Torre and shunned Mattingly for some of the wackiest managerial calls I’ve ever seen.

Mariano came back on Sunday, and was absolutely lights out. He didn’t just save the game. He was dominant. That walk must have sent shockwaves through Rivera, and sparked a fire under him the likes of which we haven’t seen in a while. Because, we’ve all grown accustomed to the calm, cool, level-headed Rivera, not the angry beast that came out on Sunday to finish off the ball game. Not to mention, he came back on Monday night for more of the same business. No hits, no walks, one strikeout. The line was identical to Sunday’s. Wait a second. I thought he was falling apart! I thought he was done! Finished! I called the pall bearers and everything!

Stop joking with reality, for the love of Christ. In his last ten appearances (not Christ’s, I mean Mo’s), he’s netted 7 saves. Two appearances were in extra innings at home (where a save is not possible in that situation), and only one loss (Saturday’s loss to Tampa Bay). I don’t think we’re ready to put Mariano in a coffin yet. I realize the logic behind it. He’s 39 years old, he’s not going to pitch forever. At some point, we will definitely see Mariano Rivera face the facts that he just doesn’t have the stuff to face major league hitters anymore. I’ll be honest, that will be a sad day. Not so much because I’m an avid Yankee fan, but because we will probably never see a closer so dominant over such a long stretch of time. Name me one other closer in the past 15 years who has been this kind of dominant for that stretch. Sure you have guys like Eric Gagne and Brad Lidge, who are so dominant for a small stretch, but injuries get the best of them, and time is definitely not on their side. The only guys who come close are Trevor Hoffman (a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer), and Jonathan Papelbon. And I only throw Papelbon in because he is so dominant right now. I don’t own a DeLorean to go into the future to see how well he will continue to pitch, so for now, that’s it. Rivera, Papelbon, and Hoffman. Provided Papelbon keeps up his stuff, soon, he will be the only dominant closer left in the game that will span over the course of a decade or more. That’s sad.

Rivera, thus far, has aged like fine wine. He manages less blown saves as each year progresses while finding himself in more games, and continues to bring it home for the Yankees. With a team that is surely playoff bound, you have to know that Rivera will continue to be your rock. He has the same stuff he always had. He’s taken great care of his arm over the course of his career. We’re about one-third of the way through the season right now, and Rivera can potentially net himself over 40 saves for a 7th time in his career, and get the most strikeouts he’s garnered in over 5 years. It can be a great year for Mo, as well as the Yankees.

To question his ability after one blown save (his only of the season) shows that the New York media had that article in the can, ready to go after the first sign of trouble. It’s sickening to see how truly great players get treated in New York. I hope Mariano turned around and shut these idiots up, hopefully for the rest of the season. One blown save, and two purely dominant finishes directly after. Any doubt in your mind should not only be erased, but a firewall should be placed in to further prevent you from ever thinking that again. You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit in the wind, You don’t pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger, and you sure as hell don’t ever, under any circumstances, question the ability of Mariano Rivera.

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Erik Espenberg is a native New Yorker who is an avid fan of the Yankees, Rangers, and Jets. When not writing for Camel Clutch, he can be found killing his brain cells playing assorted video games. He can be contacted at camelclutcherik@gmail.com.