BY SCOTT LAUBERLots to talk about before tonight's Game 1 of the NLCS, so let's get right to it ...
As I went through each roster and wrote the Dodgers-Phillies matchups story, a kind of position-by-position tale of the tape, that appears in The Paper today, it struck me how even this series really is. I gave the Phillies a decided edge at first base and second base. The Dodgers got the clear edge in left field (sorry Pat Burrell, but Manny is "Senor Octubre") and behind the plate. Otherwise, the Phillies got only a slight edge at shortstop, center field and in the bullpen, while the Dodgers got a slim edge at third base, right field and in the starting rotation.
Then, there are the men in charge.
Joe Torre has four World Series rings, 13 consecutive playoff appearances (12 with the Yankees, one with the Dodgers) and is the envy of managers across baseball. But, really, he isn't much different than Charlie Manuel. I've spoken to players and coaches on both teams, and they say the same things about their managers. Torre is an expert communicator. So is Manuel. Torre excels at handling the myriad personalities in a clubhouse. So does Manuel. Torre commands respect from his players, something that was evident when he made the tough decision to bench underachieving veterans Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre and Nomar Garciaparra in favor of talented youngsters Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and James Loney. Ever wonder why none of the Phillies players complained when Manuel benched Jimmy Rollins twice during the regular seeason? It's because they have so much respect for Manuel.
Manny Ramirez, who has played for both Manuel and Torre, notices the similarities.
"You play for Charlie and Joe, and you be on time, and you play hard, and you be OK," he said. "Joe's great. He lets you go out there and play the game. Charlie's pretty loose. He's fun. That's the way the game's supposed to be."
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So much baseball in today's News Journal, so little time for me to get to it all. Without further ado, then, here are links to some stories that ran in The Paper.
-Manny spent a few minutes being Manny with reporters yesterday, and we kind of enjoyed it. It goes without saying that he's the offensive key to the series for the Dodgers.
-Martin Frank talked to Larry Bowa, Davey Lopes, Dallas Green and others about Black Friday. I think you'll find their comments, Lopes' in particular, quite amusing.
-Within the notebook, Bowa says he'd like the Phillies to win the World Series (assuming, of course, the Dodgers don't), Cole Hamels says he's ready for Game 1 and Manuel talks about how the Phillies might handle Manny.
-Chase Utley and Ryan Howard haven't exactly been big postseason performers. That has to change if the Phillies are going to win this series.
-The celebs will be out in force when the series shifts to Dodger Stadium. Some of the big names who attend Dodgers games: Tom Hanks, Shia LaBeouf, Alyssa Milano, James Van Der Beek, Pamela Anderson, Christian Slater and Larry King. Who do we have in Philly? Chris Matthews (one of my MSNBC favorites), actor/director Christopher Guest and Paul Barrere, the lead singer for the band Little Feat.
-A look back at the season series between the Phillies and Dodgers.
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Quote of the day yesterday came from Ryan Madson, who can see the playoff excitement right in his own front yard: "People are driving by, honking at my house. I didn't even know they knew I lived there. Now I really don't want to screw up. They'll burn my house down."
3 comments:
You ask for comments but rarely offer a response. How come?
Hi, Henry: I try to get to all of the comments, but this time of year, with everything that's going on with the team, it's sometimes difficult. But I do read your comments, so please keep 'em coming! And when the playoffs settle down a bit, I'll definitely be better about responding. Thanks for the note.
Don't forget Tom Arnold!
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