World Series Breakdown

The case for Philadelphia....

The Philadelphia Phillies caught and passed the New York Mets for the second year in a row en route to the NL East crown. This time around they are making the most of their playoff appearance. 

With the hopes of an entire championship-starved city on their shoulders, the Phillies look to bring a title home to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time in a quarter century. Here's how they will make that dream a reality.

Cole Hamels  - The NLCS MVP has been unhittable this postseason. With a 3-0 record and 1.23 ERA in the playoffs, he has clearly been the Phillies ace.

He has 22 strikeouts in as many innings and is the one guy who can win this series almost single-handedly. The San Diego native will start Game 1 and could make two more starts if the series goes the full seven games. 

While the rest of the rotation behind him and Brett Myers are unreliable if Hamels can keep the Rays at bay with his breathtaking change-up he could set-up the Phillies to only need one win when he is not on the bump.

The big bats - The powerful lineup that propelled the Phillies all season has yet to really break out. A World Series 

championship could be theirs if they finally do. 

Behind Long Beach Poly and UCLA grad Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell loom. The trio belted 114 homers during the regular season but has just four - three from Burrell and one from Utley - through the first two rounds. 

Howard, the 2006 NL MVP and leading candidate for the award again after a torrid September, is streaky. If he can get hot again, the Rays will be in trouble. 

At the top of the lineup, the reigning NL MVP Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino set the table for the sluggers behind them. If both speedsters can get on and wreak havoc on the basepaths, the Phillies can put up a ton of runs - especially at home in Citizens Bank Park.

The bullpen - One thing you need to win in October, or even early November, is a great bullpen. Closer Brad Lidge is perfect 46-for-46 in converting save opportunities this season.

Long Beach native Ryan Madson has given up just one run in nine innings of work and the Phillies haven't blown a lead after eight innings all year, with a record of 86-0 headed to the final frame on top. With Madson's emergence they are lights out after seven innings. 

On the other side of the field Tampa's David Price has only been in the big leagues a month and Grant Balfour has a shaky psyche. The Rays lack a proven closer and that should be a big key. 

If Hamels and Myers can get the ball to Madson and Lidge with a lead the duo can shut the door and get Philadelphia a win. That will be the recipe for success.

Prediction: Phillies in 7

Tracy McDannald's take

The case for Tampa Bay...

Tampa Bay Rays rookie third baseman Evan Longoria was still in disbelief after defeating the Boston Red Sox to advance to the World Series.

“I’m sure nobody picked us to go to the World Series,” the former Long Beach State Dirtbag said after Sunday’s 3-1 win in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. “For me to be in this situation, I really can’t believe it.”

He’s right — nobody picked them to play in the Fall Classic at the beginning of the season. The team started the season as an 80-to-1 longshot to win the World Series, and the franchise hadn’t made the playoffs in its previous 10 years of existence.

But, I’m giving them a shot to win it all.

Youth trumps experience - Everyone can stop saying that the Rays are too inexperienced to perform in the postseason.

How about this for experience? Manager Joe Maddon was on the coaching staff when the team formerly known as the Anaheim Angels won the World Series in 2002.

Maddon has done an excellent job guiding the young, talented Rays to the AL East title, AL pennant, and now, a shot at the big prize.

Longoria and center fielder B.J. Upton — 23 and 24 years old, respectively — have powered the offense in the middle of the lineup, combining to hit 13 home runs in the postseason.

There’s also that unknown fireballer who emerged from the bullpen in Game 7 …

Price is right for Tampa Bay - David Price was thrust into the national spotlight Sunday night and responded well.

The former No. 1 overall draft pick was called up in September and appeared in just five regular season games. But, Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning and preserve the 3-1 lead. 

The rookie left-hander continued to baffle Boston in the ninth, fanning Mark Kotsay and Jason Varitek before inducing the series-ending grounder to eliminate the defending champions.

With questions swirling about Tampa Bay’s arms in the bullpen — particularly the closer role — Maddon should think back to an electric Francisco Rodriguez mowing through lineups in the Angels’ 2002 run.

Price can dart the outside corner with a 97 mph fastball or jelly-leg batters with an 88 mph slider, and hitters can’t hit what they can’t see. As the least experienced member of the Rays, Price surely hasn’t been seen by any of the Philadelphia Phillies’ hitters.

Depth in the starting rotation - Cole Hamels and Brett Myers have delivered for Philadelphia, combining to win five of the team’s seven postseason games to reach the World Series.

There really isn’t much beyond the Phillies’ No. 1 and 2 starters, however.

In two postseason starts, 45-year-old Jamie Moyer is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in just 5 1/3 innings. It’s a struggle for him just to hit 88 mph on the radar gun with his fastball, and the Tampa Bay lineup is more than capable of turning the game into a home run derby.

In Game 4 of the ALCS against Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, the Rays scored five runs on six hits — three homers — in just 2 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay will throw four quality starters: ALCS MVP Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, Scott Kazmir and James Shields.

Prediction: Rays in six

(Cole Hamels and Evan Longoria, Photos Courtesy of MLB.com)

Champion of the past

The story of Jack Johnson

Long before there were “Banana Pancakes” or you were humming the tune to “Upside Down” the name Jack Johnson was synonymous with one thing, boxing.

One hundred years ago he was the heavyweight champion of the world and the baddest dude around. But there was a problem, Johnson was black.

In a time still filled with racial oppression Johnson’s color and even worse his brash personality and blatant disregard for a manner in which he was supposed to conduct himself clashed with white authorities.

A century later efforts are underway to right an egregious wrong.

A bi-partisan effort includes two bills, one in the House and another led by Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain is in the Senate. Both are awaiting approval.

In a letter to the President McCain wrote "Johnson’s conviction was motivated by nothing more than the color of his skin. As such, it injured not only Mr. Johnson but also our nation as a whole."

If the bills go through the dream of a posthumous presidential pardon for Jack Johnson, a great American champion could finally be realized.

While Governor in Texas Bush tabbed Johnson’s birthday as Jack Johnson Day in the state for five consecutive years.

Legendary American filmmaker Ken Burns produced a documentary entitled “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson” that aired on PBS back in January.

This movie has only furthered the effort to clear Johnson’s name.

Johnson was a larger-than-life American pop icon in the early 1900s.

Born in 1878 to former slaves in Galveston, Texas Johnson’s meteoric rise and fall from failed Reconstruction America to heavyweight champion of the world does not have a happy ending.

In 1913 Johnson was convicted of taking a woman across interstate lines as a violation of the Mann Act.

Officially the White Slave Traffic Act the obscure and controversial measure was passed to combat prostitution at the turn of the 19th century.

The Progressive Era bill was being so broadly interpreted for anything other than spousal relations that any interstate travel, especially for “undesirables” could mean prosecution.

After authorities were unsuccessful in nabbing Johnson on two occasions they accused him a third time despite the consensual nature of his relationship.

These first two occasions, marriages to white women, sparked anger amongst a Jim Crow era America.

Under law, once married, the women the authorities sought to testify against Johnson were no longer permitted to do so.

After sentencing Johnson posted bail and fled overseas to Europe.

He tried to continue fighting while living in Paris but the marquee fights eluded him. The war was going on and Johnson was not the celebrity he was back in the states.

A convoluted title fight took place in Havana, Cuba in 1915 where Johnson lost a 26-round fight. Johnson’s loss meant the return of the title belt to a white man.

It would take 22 years for an African-American to have a chance to capture the title of heavyweight champion of the world again.

Jack Johnson returned to the United States in 1920 and served his sentence.

Once out of prison he tried to resume his boxing career but he was never the same man, or the same fighter upon release.

He spent the rest of his days trying to live off his fading celebrity status. From exhibitions to entrepreneurship he continued on.

Johnson was killed in an automobile accident in 1946.

Intelligent but flashy, charismatic and proud. Johnson was a victim of circumstance, torn-down by the times.

Amendments have been made to the Mann Act in recent years most notably in 1978 and 1986 but the bill has never been repealed.

Notable stars like Black rock-n-roller Chuck Berry, actor Charlie Chaplain and architect Frank Lloyd Wright were all prosecuted under its auspicious umbrella.

Florida vs Arkansas

I went to Arkansas this past weekend to catch the Florida Gators take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. For a complete rundown of the trip and to see a photo slideshow here's the link. New post coming soon!