2009 World Series

Put on your old Donnie Baseball jersey, pour a cold beer, and get out your Tim McCarver voodoo doll...it's time for the World Series!

River & Sunset has 11 reasons why the American League champion Yankees will topple the National League champion Phillies in the annual Fall Classic.

11. Home-field advantage

Last year, the season ended tragically, but I found solace in my brief tenure as a Phillies fan. 

This year, I'm taking it to a new level.

The Phillies helped me through a difficult recovery period in 2008; that world-shattering shock that followed Game Seven of the ALCS left me grieving, but the Philadelphia Phillies took this scarred and bitter fan and gave her a new reason to cheer. For that I owe them thanks.

The New York Yankees are back in the World Series for the first time in six years. For those not familiar with the American League champions, River & Sunset has provided a brief rundown of each player.

How bad were these predictions? Out of the six writers everyone already failed to pick the two correct teams that will be in the World Series.

NOTE: Stats and records updated thru Sunday afternoon, June 29.

1. Los Angeles Angels (40-32)

Out of the top five teams in the majors, (Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Angels, Tigers), the Angels are the hottest team, no doubt.

They are the only team to have won seven of their last ten games, and are currently on a four-game winning streak. They just took over the AL West lead by a half-game over the slumping Texas Rangers.  

As the Major League Baseball season is creeping towards the halfway point, division standings are becoming more important by the day.

Here we go. We're more than one-third of the way through the season and it's time to look into the future.

You may be asking: why so early with the predictions? Well, this year is shaping up to be filled with middle-of-the-pack teams. Seeing as how the largest lead in any division (with the exception of the NL West) is three and a half games, I wanted to shed some light on what we might be able to expect down the stretch run.

I have broken down the final standings for each division and then I forecasted what things are going to look like in October.

Last October the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies piled on top of their perfect closer in celebration of his forty eighth save in forty eight chances. 

Carlos Ruiz was the first to wrap his arms around perfection and then the rest of the team ensued. The pile on began a celebration that had been almost thirty years in the making. However, it brought out the flaws in a closer who went through a full season and postseason perfect. That closer was Brad Lidge.

It would be nice to see the Cubs get back to the place where they belong.

Ok, so they have not been to the World Series since my great great grandpa watched Ty Cobb lace them up.

But with opening up of the $1.5 Billion House-that-A-Rod-financed-through-Public- Steroids a.k.a. the new Yankee Stadium, and the Cubs making a cameo in April, I think it only fitting the Wrigley wonders and new digs be home to the 2009 World Series.