Staring at the Pinstripes

One thought kept coming back to me as I watched Game 1 last night.

Anyone who thought the Phillies were going to roll over against the Yankees simply has not been watching this team the past few years.

To the dismay of Mets fans, this is a Philadelphia team that doesn't get scared, that doesn't ever count itself out of anything.

There's an old saying (or maybe it comes from "Catch Me If You Can") that the reason the Yankees beat other teams in the World Series isn't because they've got Joe D or Mickey Mantle (or Derek Jeter or Mariano Rivera), it's because the other team gets caught staring at the Pinstripes.

In beating the Twins and the Angels, the Yankees beat two teams that seemed to play as if they were more than a little psyched out. Those teams were caught staring at the Pinstripes; that will never happen to this Philadelphia team.

Now, don't get me wrong--these Yankees have a lot more going for them than Pinstripes; they won 103 games this season, after all.

But the Phillies are a really dangerous team. You have to play them hard for 9 innings because they'll seize on any let-up. The Yankees caught a glimpse of that yesterday when the Phils pushed home four huge runs in the 8th and 9th innings (when they easily could have coasted behind a dominant Cliff Lee).

Tonight should be interesting; will the famed "Who's Your Daddy?" chant be back? Time will tell.

- A.F.O.M.G.