One team has 26 world championships, a famous stadium and deep pockets. The other has two world championships, spends about one-fourth as much on its payroll and was kicked off its field during an extra-inning game last Saturday to make room for college football.
The two teams in question are, of course, the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins, who will open the American League Division Series tonight in New York. The Twins may be the clear underdogs, but don't underestimate this Midwestern team that has quietly made the postseason for its third consecutive year - they're bound to give the Yankees a stiffer challenge than they did a year ago.
Offense: The Yankees' dominating offense has been the key factor to the team's success this year. Hideki Matsui, Alex Rodriguez and especially Gary Sheffield have been terrific, and Miguel Cairo has the ability to produce clutch hits. Derek Jeter ended with a miraculous .292 average, considering his atrocious start. The Yankees' captain has already proved he's at his best in October. A weakness could be pinch-hitter Jason Giambi, who looks like he'd rather be at the ballet than up to bat these days.
The Twins' offense is the best it's been in years. Corey Koskie is 10-for-17 against the Yankees this year. Designated hitter Lew Ford and shortstop Cristian Guzman have also been dominating forces, and young Justin Morneau posted a .536 slugging percentage. The Twins run the bases better than the Yankees, but in terms of power, the Yankees have a decided edge.
Defense: The Yankees' defense, for the most part, gets the job done. Outfielders Sheffield and Matsui are strong in the outfield, but Kenny Lofton and Bernie Williams lack fantastic arms. Miguel Cairo has been surprisingly steady at second base, and John Olerud and Tony Clark have done excellent jobs filling in at first base for the ailing Giambi.
The Twins, however, are one of the best defensive teams in the American League. Torii Hunter is an outstanding center fielder, and second baseman Luis Rivas and shortstop Guzman provide a solid middle infield. At first base, Morneau's prowess made Gold Glove winner Doug Mientkiewicz expendable.
Starting Pitching: If anyone in the Yankees brain trust developed ulcers this year, it's probably due to the numerous problems with the Yankees' starting rotation. The Twins, on the other hand, have two pitchers who are dominant enough so that it hasn't mattered that the rest of their starters are just adequate.
Tonight, the Twins' Johan Santana will face off against the Yankees' Mike Mussina. Mussina, despite having endured his rockiest season to date, finished strong, with a 2.14 ERA in September. Santana, a lefty with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, is the favorite for the Cy Young Award. He's had such a phenomenal second half of the season, it's scary - 13-0 with a 1.21 ERA. Mussina may be a postseason veteran, but Santana's performance this year has earned him the edge in Game 1.
The other Twins ace, Brad Radke, will take on Jon Lieber in Game 2. Both have good control and throw a lot of strikes. Radke, a Twins veteran, is 11-8 with only 26 walks this season. Lieber, although sometimes inconsistent, has won his last five starts and 10 of his 14 games at Yankee Stadium. This one's closer to call, but Radke may have a bit of an edge over Lieber.
Game 3 will likely pair Minnesota's Carlos Silva against Orlando Hernandez, a Yankees postseason veteran who made a fantastic comeback this year after rotator cuff surgery. However, El Duque's right arm has acted up in the past week, so Kevin Brown may fill in.
Game 4 could pit Yankee Javier Vazquez, a talented pitcher making his playoff debut, against either Kyle Lohse, or Santana if the Twins are down. Considering that the Yankees may see Santana twice, the Twins have the edge for starting pitching.
Bullpen: The Yankees, lacking a strong front end of the bullpen, have relied heavily on Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera, who have a combined 2.96 ERA. Brown, a hard-throwing pitcher who could give a few excellent innings of relief, could be used as an option in the bullpen. Tanyon Sturtze should be used as well. But Mariano Rivera, unstoppable in the postseason, is the player who gives the Yankees the edge in this category.
The Twins have a fantastic closer in Joe Nathan, who has converted 44 out of 47 save opportunities. Nathan's set-up man is J.C. Romero, who did not give up a single run throughout July and August. Juan Rincon, who averages 1.29 strikeouts per inning pitched, has been the other strong relief option for Minnesota.
Coaching: It's hard to criticize Joe Torre. The Yankees skipper has had to deal with injured players, overrated stars, weak pitching options and pressure from the Boss, yet still managed to come up with a division win. If anyone could bring this Yankees team to a World Series, it's Torre. His biggest challenge this series will be utilizing his best pitchers without overworking the bullpen.
For the Twins, there's Ron Gardenhire, a manager who has brought the Twins to the postseason every year since he took the position in 2002. Gardenhire is a clever manager who enjoys coaching a team of underdogs. This series, he will have to carefully manage pitching changes to silence the Yankees' offense. Gardenhire has proven he's a good manager, but there's really no one who could beat Torre in this category.
Prediction: Yankees in five.
