CHICAGO- Fans were ecstatic in Chicago when their underdog Gray Stockings won the NL Pennant for back-to-back seasons. With the loss of Carter Maybin in his first start of the playoffs, their surprise run back to the World Series is even more shocking. Reporters asked veteran 3B Boots Knotts how they managed to topple the top two seeds in the NL. "Two words for you," he responded, "Wayne. Spence." Its true that SP Wayne Spence has been huge this postseason, picking up the slack for the injured Maybin. Spence has been pitching on short rest for the entire postseason, taking the hill for the Sox in 6 of their 15 postseason games. The 3-time All Star already had a reputation as a big game pitcher, but this season put him in the top tier of playoff pitchers. He is 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 36 K with only 9 BB. In his 19 career postseason starts, Spence is now 12-3, with a 3.66 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 97 K to only 30 BB. Despite his teammates' praise for his workman like effort so far, the Gray Sox have had a number of players to thank for their success. As a whole, the offense has been shaky, with only a .319 OBP. But a number of players have been been producing just enough runs for the team to get by, winning 7 of their 10 playoffs victories by 3 runs or less. 3B Boots Knotts is tied for the team lead in home runs with 4, while hitting .321 with 12 RBI. Current NL MVP 1B Russ Charleston has been the consummate professional hitter, making it nearly impossible for the opposing pitchers to get him out. He has a postseason OBP of .385 and has only struck out 3 times in 56 AB. He also has 3 doubles, 2 home runs and leads the team in RBI with 14. CF Butch Ramirez has also been solid. He is tied for the team lead in extra base hits (8) and home runs (4). He also leads the team in walks (11) and has an OBP of .373 and 11 RBI. Maybe the biggest strength though, has been the bullpen. They've been lights out. In 52 innings, the pen has a WHIP of 1.19, an ERA of 2.08. Most importantly, the pen has only allowed 1 out of 13 inherited runners to cross the plate and score. The concern for the manager from the NLCS though, has got to be the defense. For the team that was the best fielding team in the NL, its unacceptable to have 8 errors in 5 games; including at least one in every game. If the Gray Stockings are to have any chance to pull off their biggest upset of the season, Wayne Spence will have to continue to pitch out of his mind and the defense must go back to its flawless regular season form.
BALTIMORE- When the Revolution won the franchise's second WS Title last season, the players started to reach for a new goal, not just a Championship, but a Dynasty. So far, they've definitely taken the next step toward that lofty goal. The Revolution have been the top team in the AL for a number of seasons now, both during the regular season and the postseason. They have won the AL Pennant for three of the last four season, and are, of course, the reigning League Champions. The fever has taken Baltimore by storm too. The Revolution are the top sports draw in Baltimore, and for good reason. The front office has taken an aggressive marketing campaign to capitalize on the teams continued dominance. The first game of each series is a "Black Out" game where fans are given black T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, "Join the Revolution!" across the chest in team colors. And so far this playoffs, the fans have had nothing to do but cheer as their hometown team has done nothing but win. With back-to-back sweeps to their credit, the Revolution strut into the World Series undefeated and unchallenged in these playoffs, with a 7-0 record. Their regular season offense was a juggernaut, and in the postseason it hasn't been much less. The team has an OBP of .336 and a SLG of .488. They are averaging over 2 home runs per game. Current AL MVP LF Frank Edwards and C Alfredo Pimentel in particular have been a two-man wrecking crew. They have combined to hit .396 with 21 hits, 7 home runs and 17 RBI. And as impressive as the stick work has been for Baltimore, the much maligned pitching staff has really been the story. Only once so far has any of the Revolution's opponents scored more than two runs in any game. In the staffs 64 innings, they have a minuscule 1.97 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. It hasn't been any one or two pitchers either, they have all been good... very good. For most of the Baltimore faithful, its not a question of whether or not their team will win, but will they go 11-0?
Projected Pitching Matchups:
Game 1: Camden Yards: CHI: Wayne Spence (12-10) vs. BAL: Damaso Solano (13-4)
Game 2: Camden Yards: CHI: Pedro Franco (12-8) vs. BAL: Tony Espinosa (16-5)
Game 3: US Cellular Field: BAL: Billy Ray Howington (20-4) vs. CHI: Julio Telemaco (11-9)
Editors' Pick:
For the first time in SPL history, the same two teams will square off in the WS in consecutive seasons. Last season, the Revolution made quick work of the NL Champion Gray Stockings, winning the Fall Classic in a brisk 5 games. There really isn't much of a reason to think the result will be any different this time around. Baltimore is fast and powerful and their pitching is at the top of its game, dominating the opposition better than it has all season long. While Chicago is a solid club, with great defense up the middle, a veteran pitching staff and certainly amongst the elite teams in the league... the Revolution seem to be in a class by themselves. Baltimore wins in five.
