Ben Kaplan ’09
If I’ve learned one thing from this baseball season, it’s to never count out the Rays. When they dropped seven games in a row before the All-Star Break to fall a half-game behind the Red Sox, I thought they were done. When they were down a run at Boston in the ninth on Sept. 9, staring down Jonathon Papelbon and the prospect of falling into a first-place tie with the Sox, I thought they were done. When the Red Sox scored eight unanswered runs to win Game 5 of the ALCS and then took Game 6, I thought, surely this time they must be done. But every time the Rays faced adversity, they overcame all odds and proved beyond a doubt that they were the class of the American League. Still, the ALCS was a little too close for comfort, and the Phillies have won 20 of their last 25 games. Unbeatable lefty Cole Hamels will get at least two starts, Brad Lidge has yet to blow a save, and I’d take Utley, Howard, Victorino, and Rollins over Longoria, Upton, Iwamura and Pena any day. Counting out the Rays has burned me this year, but, like a frustrated roulette player, I’m sticking with Red … this time Philly Red, and I’m taking Philadelphia in six.
Prediction: Phillies in 6
Jon Salik ’09
The Philadelphia Phillies are on a tear, and are four wins away from ending their city’s 25-year championship drought (yes, all four of their major sports teams have gone 25 years without a ticker tape parade). They have gone 7-2 this postseason, dropping only one game apiece to the Brew Crew and the Manny-show in L.A. Cole Hamels has been particularly nasty, posting a 1.23 ERA in October and limiting opposing hitters to a .173 average. Shane Victorino, meanwhile, has been clutch and feisty, slugging nearly .200 points higher in the postseason than he did during the regular season. Bottom line: this team has consistently come up with the clutch hit, and has had a different hero each night (think Matt Stairs). What makes the Phillies even scarier is the thought that Ryan Howard, who has failed to hit for any kind of power this postseason, could wake up in the World Series.
But the Tampa Bay Rays are this year’s Cinderella. Evan Longoria and Melvin Emmanuel Upton (somehow that became B.J.) are crushing the ball and are one homerun away from setting the all-time homer record for a pair of teammates in a postseason. And in beating Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and Jon Lester (twice), the Rays’ hitters proved that they can hit all types of pitchers equally hard. With four quality, young starting pitchers, though, it’s the Rays pitching staff that is arguably their greatest strength. Matt Garza was dominant against Boston, while Scott Kazmir threw a phenomenal Game 5 and may have regained the confidence he had lacked in his slider. Moreover, after grinding out a fourth win against the Sox following an impossibly demoralizing Game 5 defeat, the Rays have shown that their resilience far outweighs their immaturity. Their biggest weakness is their bullpen, which was roughed up pretty hard in the ALCS. Nevertheless, the Rays have been defying expectations all year—expect it to continue.
Prediction: Rays in 7
Sarah Gelles ’10
It says somewhere in the rulebook of baseball fandom that you can’t bet against your team—especially in the World Series. Given that, my picking the Phillies to win in six (I was going to say three...) probably shouldn’t be taken very seriously. Nonetheless, I truly believe that the Phillies will pull it out. While everyone remembers Tampa gutting it out in Game 7 against the defending champs, few people seem to remember that the Phillies have come back the last two Septembers to grab the NL East title. Clearly, they know something about playing when it matters.
Additionally, the Phillies have yet to lose a game in which they have a lead entering the ninth inning; while Brad Lidge may have caused some heart attacks along the way, it’s hard to argue with the numbers. And in advancing to the Series, the Phils beat CC Sabathia, the second half’s best pitcher, even though they received next to no contribution from Ryan Howard, who led the majors in RBIs this year. Thus, as much as I respect the Rays’ turnaround, I have to go with the Phillies. The fact that I grew up rooting for them (and am going to Game 3) certainly doesn’t hurt, either.
Prediction: Phillies in 6
Athletic Director Suzanne Coffey
I’d pick the Rays. It was amazing the way they bounced back from that heartbreaking defeat in Game 5 to win the series and I like the whole idea of a last-place team turning it around and winning it all the very next year.
Prediction: Rays
Professor David Hansen
The Rays are a fearless team that overcame the Game 5 collapse, and they won the AL East, the best division in baseball.
Prediction: Rays in 6
Professor Jessica Reyes
I’d have to pick the Rays, if only because they’re AL, and the AL is just hands-down better than the NL these days. Always a safe bet to pick the AL team. Add the fact the Rays have never been to the Series before, much less the playoffs, and have barely ever been out of last place, I bet they’re even more driven than the long-suffering Phillies.
Prediction: Rays in 6
Dean Ben Lieber
As a lifelong Yankees fan, I’ve been struggling mightily (and failing miserably) since Sunday night to restrain my schadenfreude. Now that the Red Sox are out, I owe my allegiance to the team that accomplished it.
Prediction: Rays in 6
Dean Gregory Call
As a Red Sox diehard, I give both the Rays and the Sox credit for a great ALCS. In the World Series, though the Phillies have an outstanding offense. My sense is that home field advantage, strong starting pitching and a sense of destiny will enable the Rays to prevail in six games.
Prediction: Rays in 6
Professor Austin Sarat
Prediction: Rays in 6
President Anthony Marx
Prediction: “Absolutely the Phillies.”