I hate to say this, but I still haven't forgiven the LA Dodgers for the 1988 World Series, and I probably never will. Even with the amusements of Manny Ramirez and the "what might have beens" of Andre Ethier, I'm not exactly throwing on the powder blues and planning for a night out at Chavez Ravine. But the Dodgers went from being a forgotten team in a horrible division prior to the All-Star Break to a high-octane contender, powered by Manny and his amazing dreadlocks. Now, they're assumed to have the momentum, despite having finished the '08 regular season with a record eight games worse than the Phillies.
As for the Phils, they come from a franchise that had a great 1980, and ... well, that's almost it. A Joe Carter home run doomed their last memorable playoff appearance, and you better believe Bud Selig is praying they don't make it to the Big Show this year, eliminating LA as a media market. But not us. We're hoping Joe Blanton and company get their shot (against the Rays, of course). Game 1 is in the hands of Cole Hamels, who will be facing off against Derek Lowe, who I don't recall being all that fond of during his time at Fenway. Game time is 5:22 Pacific.
