MEDIA HELPED FEED FANS NONSENSE

The 2009 World Series coverage from the New York area papers acted like Philadelphia is in some way weak in heart and will pass out as soon as the Yankees breathe on them. Showing Mr. Victorino in a dress. Acting like Rollins was saying something new that needed to be addressed and plain mocking of the city was way over the top.

The fans must have believed it would go according to what they read. It explained the shock on many fans faces and the quiet voices on radio shows that the end is near. What happened last night was a wakeup call. The Phillies came in here in May and came one A-Rod home-run from sweeping the Yankees, so yes, they know this place.

They are the defending World Champions. The Yankees have five players with experience and only four with rings.

Game 1 is easily summarized, Cliff Lee dominant and not stretched enough to test the Phillie bullpen. The implosion of the Yankee bullpen, the same one that built the bridge to Mariano that looks more like a series of pontoon bridges ready to break at the smallest change of current. C.C. finding out he has to be close to perfect next time he is matched with Cliff Lee.

Can the Yankees prevail. Yes. But they must win tonight. Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes will start it up and Yankee pride in their city must be evident tonight. Pedro is in the house and he must be reminded again that even if he pitches the game of his life, that the Yankees will extend him until he leaves and it will be the turn of the Phillie bullpen to stop us. I do not believe Brad Lidge is capable of stopping the Yankees. No closer with heat has been able to. The seventh to the ninth has been our domain and it must be again.

If the Yankees can tie then Cole Hamels, if he is as vulnerable as we hear, can be beat and we can take a 2-1 lead into decision day game 4 and maybe C.C. can come back and put them one game away. A victory in six or seven is what it will take. But there must be a statement put into the defending champions mind so they know that they are not playing the Tampa Bay Rays, but a team with a deeper lineage, capable of adding to it, when on all cylinders. They need A-Rod to save the day somewhere in this series.

So, tonight, its A.J.'s turn to show his pedigree and allow the Yankees the chance to get ahead then hold it down wit h the bridge and Mariano. Or maybe just Mariano. Then the series comes down to stealing one and hopefully two to extend the series and decide it here. The deeper the series goes, the better the Yankees chances, and at that point, the ghosts will make themselves known. If you believe in Ghosts that is.