Day Of Atonement?

Today’s the day. Screw the global economy, screw the election, screw the kids – don’t have any, but screw ‘em anyway - forget about the Jewish holiday, screw atonemnet, and who cares about my pilot and my career? It’s important to recognize what really matters and what really matters in the Dodgers and Phillies meet today for Game 1 of the NLCS. The first pitch is around 5:22 PM PDT, and regardless of what I’m doing or what I have due at a major network, I’ll be in front of the TV by 5:00.

I’m excited, nervous and a little scared. It’s like I said in my recent blog. The Phillies have some scary ass left handed bats and all the Dodgers starters, with the exception of young Clayton Kershaw, are righties. I’m worried about Jimmy Rollins. I’m worried about Shane Victorino. I’m very worried about Chase Utley and I’m super worried about Ryan Howard. The ball jumps off his bat like it was shot out of a cannon. And, yes, truth be told, I’m also worried about Pat Burrell and ex-Dodger, Jayson Werth. Let’s go pisition by position like we did with the Cubbies: 1st base – Howard vs. Loney. Big Edge: Phils. 2nd base – Utley vs. DeWitt. Big Edge Phils. Shortstop – Rollins vs. Furcal. Edge: Even. 3rd base – Feliz/Dobbs vs. Blake. Edge: Even. Left field – Burrell vs. Manny. Edge: Dodgers. Center field – Victorino vs. Kemp. Edge: Phils. Right field – Werth vs. Ethier: Edge: Even. Catcher – Ruiz/Coste vs. Martin. Edge: Dodgers. Starting pitching – Hamels, Meyers, Moyer, Blanton vs. Lowe, Billingsley, Kuroda, Kershaw/Maddox. Edge: Even. Bullpen - No Kuo. Phils’ bullpen, including Romero and a resurgent Lidge have the lowest ERA in the league. Edge: Phils. Bench – Edge: Dodgers. Manager – Manual vs. Torre. Edge: Dodgers. All in all, it’s pretty even. But the Philadelphia club has home field advantage and both teams have momentum. I gotta give the Dodgers the nod, here in 6 or 7. Hope I’m not screwing them up. They seem to do better when I predict them to lose. Tonight is a big one. They win the first one, they take home field advantage away, maybe establish Lowe’s dominance, and acquire the renewed confidence they need to go to the World Series. They must find a way to neutralize Utley and Howard and look for Joe Beimel to be used a lot, with the possibility that you’ll see Kershaw out of the pen.

The media likes to make a lot out of the Dodger wins over Philly in the NLCS’s of ’77 and ’78 and the Phils win over the Dodgers in ’83. It’s a new ballpark for them – a bandbox – and a new game.

I love the Rays’ spunk and I’d like to see them punk the hated Red Sox, but how much fun would a Dodgers/Bosox World Series be? Especially with the Manny factor. I think it’s a distinct possibility because I think Boston is better than Tampa Bay and will prove it in the ALCS.

The sun and sky and smell of the air say Fall and the Dodgers are still playing ball. How about that? GO DODGERS!