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10 Reasons Why the New York Yankees Will Still Win the World Series |
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Written by Peter Sweeney
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Wednesday, 03 October 2007 |
 Earlier this year on May 31, 2007, an article was published titled “10
Reasons Why The New York Yankees Will Win the World Series.” At the
time, the Yankees were 22-29, 13.5 games out of the AL east, and 7
games out of Wild Card position. As the article circulated through the internet, I was called many different names and the material in the article was ridiculed.
Following that day, the Yankees went 72-39, finishing 2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL east and clinching the Wild Card 6 games ahead of the Tigers.
So today, before the playoffs begin, I give you 10 reasons why the Yankees will still win the World Series.
1.Easy 1st Round Opponent- The Yankees are 6-0 against the Indians this season. In the six games, they outscored the Indians 49-17. There only hiccup could be against C.C. Sabathia, but the Yankees will take the series in no more than 4 games.
2.Leadership of Derek Jeter- The Yankees have made the playoffs thirteen years in a row and Derek Jeter has been there for every one. He knows the pressure of performing in the playoffs and he knows how to win. With that, he is arguably the greatest playoff player of all time. Under command of Captain Jeter, the Yankees will win their 27th World Series Title.
3.Andy Pettitte- The off-season signing of Andy Pettitte will prove it’s value now more than any other time this season. With 14 playoff wins, Pettitte is 2nd only to John Smoltz. After this post-season, he will lead in playoff wins and will add a 5th World Series title to an already solid resume.
4.Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera- The best one-two punch in the playoffs. With these two in the pen, starting pitchers know that if they can get through seven innings, it will be game over. Chamberlain’s ERA was 0.38 in 19 appearances and Rivera is still the best closer in the history of the game.
5.The Rocket’s Finale- After going .500 this season with a 4.18 ERA, Roger Clemens realizes that this is in all likelihood last year. With that in mind, he wants to go out on top. And he will.
6.The MVP- Alex Rodriguez’s numbers tallied in at .314 with 54 home runs and 156 RBI’s. Simply put, pitching couldn’t figure him out. Without A-Rod, the Yankees comeback to make the playoffs could not have transpired. His energy and skill will continue this post-season as finally, Rodriguez gets his first ring.
7.Joe Torre- The players and the fans know that this could very well be the last season for Torre. Like Clemens, Torre would like to go out on top and his players realize that. What would be a better goodbye present for Torre than a World Series Championship to cap off a tremendous coaching career?
8.Batting Average- The Yankees had the highest batting average in the entire league throughout this season. While it’s pitching that usually wins championships, the Yankees know how to get on base. And throughout this post-season, they will be doing a lot of that.
9.Playoff Experience- There are many players on the Yankees who know what it’s like to play in a playoff game. There are eight players on the team who know what it’s like to call themselves champions. By having a great deal of playoff experience, the Yankees are a step ahead of a lot of other teams in the mix.
10.They’re the “Yankees”- It’s the same number 10 as the last article. As corny as it sounds, the last time I checked, the team still wore pinstripes, shaved the bottom of their lip, and acted like champions. For the first time since 1997, the Yankees will enter the playoffs as the underdogs. And for the first time since 2000, they will walk out World Series Champions.
The mystique is back, and that’s something I could have told you in May.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 October 2007 )
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