Dan:

First, let me point out I'm amazed Yankee Dave posts here about as infrequently as my low-life brother does on FansOnTheField.net. His Yanks just won the Series; I'd think he'd be celebrating or gloating. I imagine it's because he's embarrassed that they bought their way to a championship.

I've heard Yankee fans say the calls for a salary cap are just sour grapes by the rest of us. I've heard people say this championship isn't about the money; that after $120 million or so, it's all the same.

Wrong.

Check out this list of team salaries this year: http://espn.go.com/mlb/teams/salaries?team=nyy. The Yankees spent nearly $90 million more than the Boston Red Sox, and nearly $70 million more than baseball's other biggest spender - the NEW YORK Mets. It isn't all the same. With a salary cap, even one where the Yankees could still spend $160 million -- $20 mill more than anybody else -- they wouldn't have won this championship because they couldn't afford Texeira, CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett.

Face it: the only reason the Yankees won the championship -- heck, the only reason they were even contenders -- is because they have more money than they know what to do with. Under a salary cap, this Yankee management team wouldn't have a .500 team. That is because Brian Cashman, when he needs to make smart moves, instead saddles his team with bad contracts. Texeira, Sabathia, were no-brainers. He doesn't get credit for that. Think about Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Jared Wright, etc.

Remember those 90s Yankee teams that signed top free agent pitchers, but developed much of their own offensive talent and signed value free agents? That dynasty was mostly developed when Steinbrenner was suspended from baseball and Brian Cashman was still fetching coffee for people. The only way they can put together a championship team is by outspending their closest competitors by $80 million -- more than the entire payroll of a majority of baseball teams.

If baseball instituted a salary cap -- which it needs to do -- the Yankees wouldn't be a .500 team, and Brian Cashman would be looking for a job.

Dan:

As a Red Sox fan, it's been a tough October. But tonight's match-up featuring ol' pal Pedro Martinez against the hated New York Yankees is easy to get excited about.

It certainly conjures up memories of glory days gone by. For Sox fans -- in fact, for all "baseball" fans -- the Pedro Martinez era in Boston was immensely exciting. Pedro provided us with arguably the greatest stretch of pitching in baseball history, and along the way left us with enduring memories -- many against our most-hated rival, the New York Yankees. It's impossible to forget him drubbing Roger Clemens in Game 3 of the 1999 ALCS. Or his 17-strikeout, 1-hit gem in New York; or his epic battle with Roger Clemens in 2000 that ended with Trot Nixon swatting a game-winning homer. Or the Zimmer game. Or his great performance in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS that unfortunately gets overshadowed by Grady Little's all-time absentee-management moment.

Now that our 2009 Sox have been swept aside in the playoffs, Sox fans have worried we'd be stuck watching the Yankees waltz to a championship. Now, after Cliff Lee's amazing performance in Game 1, we see our old hero -- Pedro Martinez -- stepping up in a spot where he can slay the Yankees once again. We know he isn't the same pitcher he once was. But maybe . . . just maybe . . . he can recapture that magic for one more night.

I'll certainly be watching to find out.

The Yankees are so close to their 27th ring you can taste it. They start the World Series tonight, and forget about all the crap being written about what a great series this is going to be and how good the Phillies are. The Yankees WILL crush them! That is a guarantee.

First, the Phillies play in the National League, which could serve as a minor league for American League teams. So forget what they've done so far this season. Second, the don't have near the offensive firepower or pitching depth that the Yankees have. And finally they are making stupid moves. Having Pedro pitch Game 2 is downright idiotic. The Yankees have always owned Pedro, and that was when he was good. He has nothing anymore, and because of one good start against the Dodgers the Phillies are starting him in Game 2. That's just a dumb move. Can't wait for the "Who's Your Daddy?" chants to start.

Yankees will steamroll through the Phillies in a sweep. Five games at most.

Yankees start the ALCS against the ANGELS tonight... just like I predicted. The Yanks are on fire right now, and the way ARod is swinging the bat and a wellrested pitching staff, I expect them to plow through the Angels in five games. LET'S GO YANKEES!!!

And, Dan, you are right about one thing. WHEN the Yankees do get Bay, it will mean Boston won't finish higher than third place next year. Looks like you guys are going back to being Loserville real quick.

-Dave

Dan:

As I've been trying to forget about the Red Sox playoff collapse and look at the offseason, one thought keeps scaring the hell out of me: Jason Bay in pinstripes.

Considering there are almost no descent bats in the free agent market (forget Matt Holliday, the most overrated player in baseball), the Sox can't afford to lose Bay. To have a better offense next season, they need to resign him AND trade for an Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder.

The problem is, Johnny Damon's contract is up. And there is no good reason why the Yankees wouldn't throw a ton of money at Bay. In fact, there is every reason they should do that. The Yanks already have realized they are better with Jeter at lead-off than Damon. They don't have Johnny for his defense, that's for sure. And he's well past his prime.

By signing Bay, the Yankees would not only upgrade their offense, they'd also put a dagger in the Red Sox that Boston likely couldn't recover from before next season. And the Sox can't compete with the Yanks in a bidding war.

The more I think about it, the sicker I feel . . .

Dan:

That's right, Dave. Laugh it up. Enjoy it. Your Yankees got the job done; the Red Sox flopped. I can't defend it. I have no comeback. But it doesn't change this fact: You and the Yankees will always suck.

What a disaster. The Sox offense has been a disappearing and reappearing act all season. Of course they choose the playoffs to disappear again. Sure, Papelbon's blown save was tough to watch. But all great closers have blown saves in the playoffs -- Eck, Rivera, Gossage, Hoffman, the list goes on. This series isn't on Pap. It is on the anemic offense. No matter who was on the mound for the Angels, one run in those first two games was inexcusable. The offense needs some life. The Sox are going to need to target a power-hitting first baseman like Prince Fielder or Adrian Gonzalez through a trade in the offseason, and then move Youk to third. Other than that, they have the team in place. It just didn't come together this season.

As for the Yankees, the fans in Minnesota must be kicking themselves. The Twins had the lead in every game and let it slip away. This could have been a different series.

Now I'm in the horrible position of having to cheer for the Angels -- a franchise that I have always despised for their multiple stupid names, stupid rally monkey and titanically stupid thundersticks. But I despise the Yankees even more . . .

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!  HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

What a great weekend!!! Just as I predicted, the Red Sucks couldn't handle the Angels, and they got SWEPT by Anaheim!!! Priceless!! Nice try, Boston. Sorry you couldn't hang with the big boys. See you next season!!!!

As for Minnesota, where are those people who criticized me when I called the Twins a speedbump? That's all the were to the Mighty Yanks. They were steamrolled!

Now the Yanks are on to play the Angels, and we'll show Red Sucks fans how to be a championship team. Yankees in 5!!!!!

GO YANKS!!!

-Dave

Dan:

Sure, the Red Sox offense looked pathetic last night. Extremely pathetic. But this was a case of the Sox running into a talented pitcher who was as good as he could be. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other team.

The reaction to Game 1 results is always overblown, especially in a short series. When the Sox took Game 1 against the Indians in 1998, fans talked of a sweep. Three games later, the Sox were eliminated. Twice this decade the Twins have taken a Game 1 against the Yankees; both times the Yanks easily won the series.

You can't help but like the Beckett - Weaver matchup tonight. If the Sox take it, they've earned a split and gained home field advantage. Then the Angels have to try to win at Fenway -- not easy for them. Of course, should the unthinkable happen, then it WILL be time to panic.

Dan:

With a 6-pack of Long Trail Harvest Ale chilling in the fridge, I'm eagerly anticipating Game 1 of the Red Sox-Angels series tonight. The Angels talented starting rotation gives me pause for concern, especially since they added Sox-killer Scott Kazmir. But the Sox have an equally-talented (I'd actually say 'more talented,' but I'm tempering expectations) starting rotation, and a much better bullpen and lineup. There is no reason the Sox shouldn't take this series in three games, four max.

Meanwhile, baseball pundits are writing glowing stories of how great the Yankees looked yesterday. Big whoop. I like the spunkiness of the Twins, and don't count them out from taking one (or two?) from the Yanks. But the lineup LB Sabathia faced yesterday lacked the depth and punch of the overall Sox lineup. And the pitchers the Yanks faced were not the best starting pitching and bullpen in the American League (that would be the Red Sox).

The Yankees of course mowed down the Twins easily yesterday. And it is obvious to anyone who watched the game that Minnesota is out of its league. Should be an easy 3 game sweep.

So much for all those doubters who said CC and ARod wouldn't be good in the postseason. It's good to see the Yankees firing on all cylinders right now. Now tonight: Let's go Angels!!!

-Dave