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I've seen this movie before. Patient hitters running up the pitch count and not swinging at bad pitches. Every at-bat a mini war. Small ball. No reliance on home runs for most of the offence, but can kill you with the long ball at any time. Then combine that with a solid rotation and great bullpen. Good combination of home grown talent and veterans. That was the Yankees in the 90s. This is the Red Sox of the 2000s.

The Yankees owned the 90s. They won 4 World Series in the 90s. (The year 2000 technically is the last year of the 90s and it is fitting that was the last time the Yankees won the World Series.) The touch has passed. Looks like it is turning out to be the decade of the Red Sox. After losing out to the Yankees in the ALCS in 2003, the Red Sox have won two World Series this decade (and the Yankees none.)

While this may piss off a lot of Yankee fans, the Tank included, Yankee fans have to accept reality. (Mets fans too.) Boston has the magic combination to sustain future championships: youth, pitching, hitting, and a dedicated ownership. While the Yankees try to buy championships, the Red Sox went out and earned two this decade. The Red Sox of the 2000s remind me of the Yankees of the 90s. Baseball watch out, this may just be the beginning.

Posted by Steve in New York

The Red Sox have taken a commanding 3-0 game lead in the World Series, making them look like the next champs. Colorado has a very large hole to try to pry itself out of. This plays into the Tank's theory that the Rockies were cold waiting 9 days to play the World Series after winning the NLCS.

After two years in a row of teams that were on a roll stalling in the Fall Classic since they had to wait, maybe MLB will finally change the dates around of the playoff schedule.

Part of me wants the Red Sox to win, mostly to enhance the Yankees' Rivalry. If the Sox win, it is the Red Sox that have won more World Series this decade than the Yankees. As much as the Yankees hate to admit it, it is good for the rivalry. Before the recent Red Sox revival, it was just the Yankees always winning, not much of a rivalry.

Posted by Steve in New York.

Last Week: I was 2-1 in last week's picks and 8-4 on the season.

This Week's Fearless Picks:
                                        
Barring jet lag and a bad batch of fish and chips, the Giants will destroy the winless Dolphins in London.

The Jets beat the Bills in a close game at the Meadowlands.  Is it Chad Pennington's last game as a starter?  Will Kellen Clemens relieve him part way through the game?
                             
Posted by the Tank in NY.

Last Week: I was 4-0, touch wood.  I am 18-8 on the season.             
 

This week's fearless picks:

#1 Ohio State wins at #25 Penn State.
                                        
#4 Arizona State beats #21 California.

#8 USC wins at #5 Oregon in a barnburner.

#10 South Florida wins at #23 Connecticut.

#11 Florida beats #18 Georgia at Jacksonville.

Local Teams:

Sorry Kathleen, #6 West Virginia wins at Rutgers.
  
Syracuse has a bye this week.
                       
Posted by the Tank in NY.

Last week on Steve and the Tank, Steve argued that rest is a good thing and the Tank said that too much rest will cool off a team. Well, the Rockies clinched the NLCS via a sweep, following a sweep in the NLDS after winning like 15 out of 16 games at the end of the season. To say they were hot was an understatement.

But they had to wait 9 days to play the Red Sox. The Red Sox got hot at the end of the ALCS and are going into the World Series on a roll. The Red Sox won last night 13-1, giving evidence, like Detroit last year, that winning the LCS too early can be a liability, not an asset.

MLB needs to revamp the schedules so if a team sweeps the LCS they are not waiting around 9 days to play their next game.

Posted by Steve in New York

I was shocked and dismayed to learn that former NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani said that he would root for the Red Sox in the World Series while campaigning in Massachusetts.
                          
I understand that he is from an older generation who are loyal to their respective leagues.  I remember Linda telling me that her Mom roots for the National League team in the World Series even if it isn't the Mets.  For instance, after the Mets lost to the hated Braves in the 1999 NLCS, she rooted for those very same Braves who were thankfully swept by the Yankees.  (Full Disclosure: I was at Game 4 of the Sweep.)
                        
Even if you have a gun to your head, a Yankees fan can't root for the Red Sox.  (The only possible exception of Ronjon.  Happy Birthday Ronjon!)
       
As for Mayor Guiliani, he lost many friends (and possibly votes) in NY and elsewhere.  There are many Yankees fans in swing states like New Jersey and Florida.  We'll see what affect that has next year.

Contrast Mayor Guiliani with his possible general election opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton.  Senator Clinton claims to be a "Yankees fan" but grew up a Cubs fan.

Finally, current NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg may run as an independent in 2008 for President.  He grew up a Red Sox fan and has diplomatically eluded the issue.
               
These politicians need to get with the program and be with the people.
                                          
Bottom Line: The USA and NYC are doomed unless you vote SteveAndTheTank.com as your presidential ticket.  Steve is 35 and I am 37 so we are constitutional eligible to be Vice President and President, respectively.  I ask for and hope to have your support.  Go Rockies!
                                     
Posted by the Tank on the road to the White House.

Tonight the World Series kicks off and most analysts are predicting the Red Sox. Of the 10 ESPN analysts predictions, only 2 are going for the Rockies. There are many reasons to choose either way so I am going to stake my ground with the Rockies:

Rockies 4- Red Sox 2.

It will be fun seeing the Rockies light up Dice-K. Some bad news for the Red Sox, 17 game winner Tim Wakefield is being left off World Series roster due to shoulder issues.

Posted By Steve in New York

The back page has been dominated by the Yankees in the last 10 days. The headline the other day: "Steinbrenner picks his nose, by the way, the Red Sox force Game 7." Do the Yankees do this on purpose? I actually think that to some degree they do, but for the most part it is just that their season is over and it is time to make some moves.  (Mets fans usually hate when the Yankees do this but they are happy to have the attention focus on the Yankees problems since misery loves company.)

To contribute to the media feeding frenzy, S&TT will contribute some more fodder:

Joe Girardi has been interviewed, spending 6 hours yesterday in Tampa. Don Mattingly is to be interviewed today, and Tony Pena (because you always need to interview at least 3) is up tomorrow. Expect fast movement on this issue, before the end of the World Series so they can negotiate with their 3 big free agents: ARod, Posada, and Riveria.

Make no mistake, the Yankees will be a different team next year, a new manager, a new pitching coach, and there is a good chance that they will lose 1 of the three players to free agency. (My money is that ARod will jump ship.) The first days after World Series + 10 will be fun to watch, maybe even more exciting than parts of the actual season.

Posted by Steve in New York.