The LoHud Yankees Blog

Props, or proposition bets, are usually sucker’s bets in Vegas but with the Yankees being listed as big favorites to win the World Series over the Phillies, I thought I’d show you some of the match-ups that are being offered (courtesy of Bodog.com). Odds that begin with a minus (i.e. -140) are the favorites; odds that begin with a plus (+110) are the underdogs.

Here’s my question: How come there isn’t a prop for “who will have more pitching changes?” You’d have to think Girardi would get the (-1600) line on that one. Anyway, for entertainment purposes only …

Who will hit more Home Runs in the Series?
Ryan Howard (PHI) +110
Alex Rodriguez (NYY)-140

Who will steal more bases in the Series?
Jimmy Rollins (PHI) -120
Derek Jeter (NYY) -110

Who will have more Hits, Runs & RBI’s in the Series?
Jayson Werth (PHI) +125
Mark Teixeira (NYY) -155

Who will record more Saves in the Series?
Brad Lidge (PHI) +165
Mariano Rivera (NYY) -205

How many Hits will Derek Jeter have in the Series?
Over 6½ (-130)
Under (EVEN)

Who will have a lower ERA in the Series?
Cliff Lee (PHI) +120
C.C. Sabathia (NYY) -150

Who will have a lower ERA in the Series?
Cole Hamels (PHI) +120
Andy Pettitte (NYY) -150

Will there be a Blown Save in the Series?
Yes +230
No -290

World Series MVP
Alex Rodriguez (NYY) 4/1
Mark Teixeira (NYY) 5/1
Ryan Howard (PHI) 5/1
Derek Jeter (NYY) 6/1
C.C. Sabathia (NYY) 7/1
Cliff Lee (PHI) 9/1
Johnny Damon (NYY) 12/1
Mariano Rivera (NYY) 10/1
Jimmy Rollins (PHI) 10/1
Chase Utley (PHI) 10/1
Shane Victorino (PHI) 12/1
Jayson Werth (PHI) 12/1
Raul Ibanez (PHI) 12/1
Cole Hamels (PHI) 12/1
Jorge Posada (NYY) 15/1
Robinson Cano (NYY) 15/1
A.J. Burnett (NYY) 15/1
Brad Lidge (PHI) 15/1
Hideki Matsui (NYY) 20/1
Andy Pettitte (NYY) 22/1
Pedro Feliz (PHI) 25/1
Carlos Ruiz (PHI) 25/1
Pedro Martinez (PHI) 25/1
Nick Swisher (NYY) 30/1
Field 15/1

Although the weather doesn’t look great right now – a theme that may well be recurrent during this series – the Yankees and Phillie are both slated to work out at the Stadium this afternoon. The Yankees are scheduled to be on the field from 2 – 3 p.m. and the Phillies will follow from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. We’ll have all the news from the workouts and press conferences later this afternoon.

Also, be sure to set aside time to join us at noon tomorrow for a lunchtime Live Chat as Chad and I take all your questions and do a full preview of the World Series. We’ve done these for each round and it’s really been a lot of fun, so I urge you to check out the earlier editions and then stop by tomorrow. Remember, 12 p.m. and the address is right here.

The Yankees and Phillies took different routes to reach the World Series this year, with one team making waves at the trade deadline and the other essentially standing pat. Chad Jennings takes a look at some key decisions that got these two teams into the Fall Classic.

George Steinbrenner is expected to make a rare appearance at the Stadium for Game 1 tomorrow night, marking only his second visit to the new ballpark for a game (he was also here on Opening Day). Josh Thomson’s notebook also has news on some options for the Yankees rotation and another win – this one in the TV ratings – for the Yankees.

If you’re interested in reading a little more about the two sluggers in the series, Scott Lauber from our sister paper in Wilmington, Del., has a nice piece about Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez.

By the way, for those who missed it (or those who just want to re-live it again), check out this post from late, late Sunday night that has a look at some scenes from inside the Yankees ALCS celebration. Back with much more later today.

Painting the World Series logo on your team’s home field. That seems to be a good sign.

Here’s the game times for the World Series. Times listed are for first-pitch and, obviously, are only “if necessary” for Games 5, 6 and 7.

In summary: Get your caffeine ready.

Wednesday, Oct. 28, Phillies at Yankees, 7:57 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29, Phillies at Yankees, 7:57 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31, Yankees at Phillies, 7:57 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1, Yankees at Phillies, 8:20 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 2, Yankees at Phillies, 7:57 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, Phillies at Yankees, 7:57 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 5, Phillies at Yankees, 7:57 p.m.

UPDATE, 6:59 p.m.: I meant to include this earlier but didn’t want to do a whole post on it since some of the debates in the thread were getting good. George Steinbrenner issued a statement today which said:

“The Yankees’ enormous will to win, tremendous professionalism and great team spirit, backed by the best, most vocal and supportive fans have propelled us into the World Series. We’re looking forward to our 27th ring.”

One of the big questions for Joe Girardi tomorrow – and one which he may not answer – is how many starters the Yankees will use in the World Series. In the ALCS, the schedule had an extra off-day (between Games 4 and 5) that allowed the Yankees to use CC Sabathia three times, if necessary, while only pitching once on short rest. Everyone else pitched twice on normal rest.

In the World Series, there are only two scheduled off days. That means a three-man rotation would require that Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett also pitch on short rest, as well as Sabathia. Is that a gamble? Sure. But it also might be less of a gamble than pitching Chad Gaudin, whose last appearance of more than two innings came on Sept. 28.

My initial thought was that the Yankees would have to use four starters because of concerns about using Pettitte and Burnett short. It now seems that the Yankees are more seriously considering that option, and it’s hard to argue with using your best players as often as possible when the games matter most. Even if the Yankees do use Gaudin, one possibility would be to use him in Game 5 – with Sabathia starting Game 4 – so that CC could hypothetically pitch Games 1, 4 and 7 (the last two coming on short rest).

If it were me, I think that’s the plan I’d choose. Burnett and Pettitte both pitching short is something I’m just not sure about, but I do like the idea of Sabathia being available three times. Gaudin vs. Joe Blanton? Sounds like an offense type of game anyway, and I think the Yankees have shown plenty of times this year that winning a game 7-5 isn’t all that unfamiliar.

The World Series is still a few days away, but that hasn’t stopped politicians from getting involved. If the Yankees win, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand will get a supply of Philadelphia cheesesteaks; and if the Phillies win, Sens. Arlen Specter and Robert Casey will get some cheesecakes from Junior’s. Not bad on either side.

In a more philanthropic wager, there’s also this: If the Yankees lose, New York City’s Hunts Point Terminal Market will donate a truckload of local produce to a Philadelphia food bank. If the Phillies lose, the Philadelphia Regional Produce Market will send food to a New York City food bank. Now that’s a bet I like.

Lastly, word is that Jay-Z and Alicia Keys will perform “Empire State of Mind” before Game 1 at the Stadium. If the song sounds familiar, it’s because it is – Derek Jeter chose it as his walk-to-the-plate music.

The Game 6 rainout seemingly put New York fans in a bind, pitting Game 6 between the Yankees and Angels on FOX directly opposite the Giants and Cardinals on NBC. It turned out the Yankees won the overnight-ratings game in a landslide.

Yankees-Angels drew a 26.4 rating and 40 share in the New York market. The Giants-Cardinals numbers paled in comparison: a 9.3 rating and 16 share. Consider that the Giants last NBC Sunday Night game (Week 2 at Dallas) reached a 19.3 rating locally.

The Yankees also beat the Giants nationally, although it was a much narrower victory. The Yankees drew an 11.4 national rating; the Giants drew a 10.4.

I spent seven years covering minor leagues baseball in Scranton, and those first four years were spent with the Phillies Triple-A affiliate. I saw Ryan Madson start an all-star game, I saw Chase Utley linger in the minors for far too long, I saw Ryan Howard hit baseballs to previously unreachable places and I saw Shane Victorino make one of the great catches I’ve ever witnessed.

A few thoughts on the Yankees World Series opponents…

• Utley is the only player I covered in Scranton who left no doubt he would be a star in the major leagues. I wondered if Howard might strikeout too much, wondered if Cole Hamels and Joba Chamberlain might have moved too quickly, but there was never a doubt with Utley. As gritty and gutty as Brett Gardner, but with an all-star caliber bat.

• Victorino has been one of my favorite players to watch. Nice combination of power and speed, with an outstanding arm in center field. To me, this is the kind of player the Yankees are hoping Austin Jackson becomes.

• Carlos Ruiz had never caught a day in his life when the Phillies signed him. A scout liked his arm, didn’t like his mobility at second base and decided to sign him as a catcher. It’s now his work behind the plate that has kept him in the Phillies everyday lineup. He does a great job working with pitchers, and he’s had a knack for big hits in big situations.

• The pitching staff is significantly revamped from my days covering the team, but I got to see a little bit of Hamels and quite a bit of Madson. Both lean heavily on their changeups, with Madson adding a funky delivery that seems to make the ball difficult to pickup. Hamels mixes in different changeups that move different ways. It’s a dangerous pitch, and he’s a dangerous pitcher. Cliff Lee is obviously the star of this staff, but Hamels can cause very real problems.

• I only saw J.A. Happ a few times, mostly in spring training. I always thought he could play a role in the major leagues, but I never thought he’d be a Rookie of the Year candidate. I saw him on TV a few times this year and he’s been significantly better than I remember. I especially don’t remember him having such a good breaking ball.

• The Phillies core was built from within, and I’ve always appreciated that. The organization did a great job finding Victorino in the Rule 5, they gave Jayson Werth a chance to become an all-star and they pulled off great trades for Lee and Brad Lidge. The organization did a nice job putting this team together. I still think the Yankees will win this series, but Philadelphia has a dangerous group.

There will be plenty of time to debate and discuss in the next few days but here’s just a few World Series thoughts that popped into my head on the drive home from the Stadium last night (or, technically, earlier this morning):

• The only roster change I see the Yankees making is dropping Freddy Guzman and adding Eric Hinske. With three games in the NL park, a pinch-hitter will be much more useful and it’s hard to imagine the Joe Girardi not wanting two lefties against the lefty-heavy Phillies.

• I’d guess the Yankees will use four starters – Chad Gaudin being the fourth – and pitch them in this order: Sabathia, Burnett, Pettitte, Gaudin. If the Yankees were trailing in the series I could see using Sabathia on short rest in Game 4 but a fourth starter is pretty much a necessity; otherwise, you’re asking two guys with health concerns (Pettitte and Burnett) to also go on short rest in their second starts and I just don’t see that happening.

• The bullpens are the keys to the series. Brad Lidge was awful in the regular season, great so far in the postseason. If he blows a game (or two), the Phillies have no chance. If he’s rock-solid, that changes things. Same for Hughes/Joba at the back of the Yankees pen. They can shorten the game considerably and really put the heat on the Phillies.

• Pedro Martinez in Game 2 at the Stadium? Boy, I hope so.