Phillies vs. Rays: World Series Breakdown

It's been well-documented how long-suffering us Philadelphia sports fans are. 25 years since a major title (the Soul don't count) has done a lot to make us all pretty jaded when it comes to our sports teams, but even the most jaded Philly fan has jumped on board with this Phillies team. Granted, we've had teams in the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals and even the World Series in the last 15 years, but there is something about this Phillies team that has sucked us right back into being believers. They are a group of likable guys who play hard and don't accept losing, qualities that this city embraces. On the eve of the World Series that might change all of our lives, especially for someone my age who was too young to remember the Phillies and Sixers titles in the 80's, it's time to break down the two teams position-by-position and see how the Phillies stack up.

Starting Pitching:
Phillies: Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton
Rays: Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine

Both teams will feature 4-man rotations. The Phillies have a slight edge in the first two games with Cole Hamels being the best pitcher in the series and Brett Myers and James Shields basically being a wash. From there, ALCS MVP Matt Garza appears to have a huge advantage over Jamie Moyer who has looked shaky at best this postseason. Moyer will be facing the type of team he loves to dominate, however, as the Rays are a young team that might not have the patience to wait on his pitches. Joe Blanton has been great this postseason and he could be the key to the Phillies chances. If the Phils manage to win the first two games and then drop the third, just like they did against the Dodgers, the series could hinge on how well Blanton holds things down. If he does anywhere near as well as he did against L.A., the Phils will be in command of the series. Game 7, if there is one, favors the Rays if it's Garza against Moyer again, so the Phillies can't let the series get to that point. Edge: Phillies, Hamels' dominance puts them over the top

Bullpen:
Phillies: Phillies: Brad Lidge, J.C. Romero, Ryan Madsen, Chad Durbin
Rays: David Price, J.P. Howell, Dan Wheeler, Chad Bradfors, Grant Balfour

The Rays appear to be using a closer-by-comittee approach, and it has worked for them so far. Except for the Game 5 meltdown against the Red Sox, Joe Maddon has done a good job of utilizing his bullpen and putting the right pitcher in the right situation. Having the 23 year-old Price on the mound to close out the Red Sox was a gutsy call that really paid off for the Rays. The Phillies, on the other hand, have shown time and again that they have the best bullpen in baseball. People keep worrying that Brad Lidge has to blow a save sometime, but I don't see any signs of him melting down yet. Edge: Phillies

Catcher:
Phillies: Carlos Ruiz
Rays: Dioner Navarro

Navarro hasn't exactly been on fire with the bat in the postseason but he clearly has an edge over Ruiz at the plate, although Ruiz has shown a knack for getting a big hit now and then. Both are about the same defensively and really know how to handle their pitchers. Edge: Rays

Infield:
Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz
Rays: Carlos Pena, Akinori Iwamura, Jason Bartlett, Evan Longoria

The Phillies have the best infield in baseball. Even with Howard struggling with his power, all four of these guys make big contributions at the plate and in the field. Well, maybe not so much in the field for Howard. The Rays have two All-Star caliber players at the corners but their middle infielders, while good in the field, aren't scary at the plate. If I compared them position-by-position in the infield, the Phillies would win every position except third base, but the gap isn't as great as that makes it sound. Edge: Phillies

Outfield:
Phillies: Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth
Rays: Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, Gabe Gross/Rocco Baldelli

You could have made a very strong case for Victorino as the NLCS MVP and he's been the Phillies best position player by far this postseason. He makes nearly every big hit and has made a number of great catches in the field. Burrell and Werth have also both contributed but they may need to do more for the Phils to win. The Rays have a better defensive outfield than the Phils, but they can't match up offensively. The right field tandem of Gross and Baldelli isn't great, but Maddon puts them in positions to succeed. Edge: Phillies

DH:
Phillies: Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Geoff Jenkins
Rays: Cliff Floyd

Charlie Manuel has been very quiet as to who his DH is going to be in Games 1 and 2. My guess is that Greg Dobbs will get the call, although Charlie might be tempted to save him for key at-bats later in the game. I seriously doubt that Burrell will play any DH, although it would make a lot of sense. The Rays have the advantage here simply because they actually have guys on the roster who are used to being designated hitters. Edge: Rays

Bench:
Phillies: Dobbs, Stairs, Jenkins, So Taguchi, Eric Bruntlett
Rays: Fernando Perez, Willy Aybar

The Phillies bench will be stripped of some of its effectiveness with Dobbs being the DH. Jenkins would then step into the primary pinch hitter role leaving not too many other options. The Rays have some speed and versatility coming off their bench so they have the advantage here. Edge: Rays

Manager:
Phillies: Charlie Manuel
Rays: Joe Maddon

As much as myself and the rest of Philadelphia have fallen in love with Charlie Manuel, Maddon is the better tactical manager who knows how and when to use his guys. Maddon likes to think with his head while Charlie thinks with his gut. His gut has been right an awful lot but I don't want to see what happens if it's wrong. Edge: Rays

My prediction:
By my highly unscientific breakdown, the Rays and Phillies are completely even with each team having the edge at 4 positions. The Phillies have the more important advantages on the mound and at the plate, so they appear to be the better team on paper. It's going to be interesting to see how this series starts off with the Rays coming off no rest and the Phillies being so rested they are probably rusty. All the Phils will need is a typical Cole Hamels outing and they will quickly shake off all that rust, however. Call me a homer if you will, but I think the Phillies will win in 6 games. The time has finally come for us to have our parade. The Rays are a solid team but the Phillies are playing like a team on a mission that refuses to lose. It's just too bad that they won't likely win the series in Philly because the celebration at the Bank would be incredible.

After 25 years of suffering, we are 4 wins away from a Philadelphia sports championship! Do we even know how to celebrate a championship if they win one?