H.H.G.: The Manny-less World Series

The World Series 2008 are between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. For one, it's the Series without Manny Ramirez, the Manny-less Series if you will. For Tampa it's the first trip to the October Classic, and in fact the first after they finally took the Devil out of their name. You know that name didn't sit well with the conservative party. For the Phillies it's time to cash in on their budding stars, and take home the price. Let's see where I pit them.

The Head Says: The Rays have got the slightly more impressive hitters I think. Evan Longoria (he of not-the-Desperate-Housewife), Carlos Pena, BJ Upton form a formidable lineup that proved this year to belong. The Phillies aren't pushovers however, with Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. Pitching-wise I think the Phillies are a bit ahead, with Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge. The Rays only have Scott Kazmir to show for it, and he's not even dominating this post-season. The Rays seem stronger and have the emotional win over the former World Series champions the Boston Red Sox. The Phillies are more rested and have had time to work out their gameplan watching the ALCS. All in all, this is a toss-up, but I would give it to the Phillies.

The Heart Says: The Rays definitely have the better story. A team which was dead last in 2007, is now the AL Champion. It's an impressive turn of events, which can only get better winning the Series outright. They've got the defense down pat, which will have to work wonders against the Phillies hitters. The Phillies on the other hand have the hopes of an entire city on their shoulders, which hasn't had a ticker tape parade since the eighties, while Tampa Bay already enjoyed a Super Bowl and a Stanley Cup this decade. So I'm actually hoping for Philadelphia to win.

The Gut Says: I don't know where it's coming from, but I keep thinking the upstarts, the rookie team, the team with only ten years under its belt, the longshot, will win it all. We were all quite surprised the Rays could actually be for real. In fact in any season I simulate in MVP Baseball, if Tampa Bay manages to win the playoff, I redo the season for the unrealistic outcome. That's how much of a stretch it was to think of the Rays anything else but a terrible team, and yet here they are.

I'm not sure about this at all, and the money put on this will be small. There aren't any villains on either team, although a strong charismatic player is also decidedly lacking in either team as well. On the other hand the Series is freed from the clutches of Manny-mania, so huzzah. So... let's give it to the Rays, and see if Tampa Bay is becoming the hotbed of American pro sports.