Slate's Bizbox
sports nut: The stadium scene.

Two Baseball Writers Discuss the World Series

sports nut
entries
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
from: Rob Neyer
to: Rany Jazayerli

Bye-Bye Balboni 

Updated Monday, Oct. 29, 2001, at 6:27 PM ET

Who are these people?

Buy the book

Rany:

Hey, that helps me a lot. It’s very difficult to root for a team owned by Jerry Colangelo, but it’s not at all difficult to root for a team that includes Mike Morgan and Randy Johnson.

I’m surprised to learn that the Diamondbacks are the second-oldest team in baseball. I was thinking that the Snakes just might be one of the oldest teams in baseball history. Which reminds me, I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a nickname for the Diamondbacks—you know, like the 1983 Phillies were “The Wheeze Kids”—but I haven’t had any luck yet, nor have I seen anybody else come up with something good. So, buddy, this is your big chance to make your fame, especially important because it looks like The Curse of the Balboni is about to drop off the radar screen.

Yes, the Yankees are going to lose. I know they’ve won five of the nine best-of-seven series in which they trailed 2-0, but I suspect that most of those five winning teams were better than this one. It’s fashionable to suggest that the Yankees don’t completely focus in the regular season, or that they’re designed for the postseason, or whatever. But isn’t it possible that the Yankees simply aren’t a great team, and for whatever reasons have overachieved in October? Over the last two regular seasons, five teams have won more games than the Yankees. Over the last two regular seasons, the Yankees won one game more than the Indians, three games more than the White Sox, and five games more than the Diamondbacks.

Do the Yankees deserve “extra credit” for winning the World Series last year, then beating the Athletics and the Mariners in the postseason this year?

Absolutely. It’s just a question of how much extra credit. I didn’t think they deserved enough extra credit to be considered favorites over the Diamondbacks, though virtually every baseball writer did consider them favorites. The Yankee Mystique, you know. Mystique is nice, but I don’t think it comes close to balancing out the lousy Yankee bench.

Seeya,
Rob

sports nut
entries
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
from: Rob Neyer
to: Rany Jazayerli

Bye-Bye Balboni 

Updated Monday, Oct. 29, 2001, at 6:27 PM ET
Print This ArticlePRINTDiscuss this in The FrayDISCUSSEmail to a FriendE-MAIL
Share on FacebookPost to MySpace!Share with MixxDigg ThisShare with RedditShare with del.icio.usShare with FurlShare with Ma.gnolia.comShare with SphereShare with Stumble Upon
Rob Neyer is a senior baseball writer with ESPN.com and his latest book is The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers. Rany Jazayerli is a writer for the Baseball Prospectus.
Photograph of Bob Brenly by Mike Blake/Reuters.
Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum
What did you think of this article?
POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES
Washington Post