Here we go again. The Yankees are again, one win away from winning the World Series. This time, if they do reach their goal, it'll be in the comfort of their own home and in front of the best fans in the world...at Yankee Stadium.

The image of the Yankees celebrating in the new home is something many people want to see and were rooting for all along in this series. Now, the time has come for it to happen.

Tomorrow night, the Yankees have Andy Pettitte going against the Phillies Pedro Martinez. As if this game didn't already have enough buzz, the matchup of Andy vs Pedro reminds us of the classic battles between the Red Sox and Yankees in the 2003 and 2004 ALCS'. Both of which had their historic moments. Tomorrow is no different. If Andy can deliver in Game 6 the way he did against the Angels in Game 6 of this year's ALCS then the new home of the Yanks will be fully christened. If Pedro can reach back and show us the Pedro of old, then Thursday night, there will be a Game 7. And from there, it's anyone's game.

A Game 7 on Thursday night means CC Sabathia comes back on 3 days rest. It means he comes back for the 3rd time in the Series. It means that Phillies Game 3 loser Cole Hamels gets the ball with everything on the line. It means EVERYONE on both rosters is avaliable. It means Mariano Rivera might have to be ready to pitch 3 innings. It means the Yankees might see Cliff Lee again, maybe in the 7th or 8th innings, coming in to put the nail in the coffin,much like Randy Johnson did for the Diamondbacks in 2001 in Game 7 of that World Series (Johnson came into Game 7 in the 9th to limit the Yankee offense so the D-Backs had a shot to make a comeback and win.....a half inning later they did.) It means ANYTHING can, and WILL happen. It doesn't matter if you're in the Bronx or in Philly. Game 7 has a life of it's own and along come moments that will etch in stone for years to come. The Yanks DO NOT want to see Game 7, the Phils would.

That's why tomorrow night, in the Bronx Andy Pettitte needs to be Andy Pettitte. That tough, gritty, give-it-his-all mentality that defines Andy needs to be there. It needs to take the ball and deliver home a World Championship. Tomorrow night is why Andy came back. One more chance to become a champion. One more chance to show the whole world why he is one of the greatest Yankees of all-time. One more chance to prove to himself he can still be one of the very best at what he does and finally...one more chance to show what it means to be a true Yankee.

The numbers don't suggest Andy will be on his game tomorrow night but at this time of the year, numbers don't matter very much. The only numbers that do...the Yanks are 1 win away from their 27th championship in franchise history. Those are the only numbers we care about. It's the only ones Andy cares about. Hopefully, after all is said and dont tomorrow night, no. 46 delivers no. 27 to the Bronx.

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Tags: Andy Pettitte, Baseball, CC Sabathia, New Yankee Stadium, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia Phillies, World Series, Yankees

Today, we await a game that EVERYONE in New York will be watching. Today, we take in the game we witnessed last night. Today, the New York Yankees can become World Champions.

Last night in Game 4, CC Sabathia took the mound on 3 days rest and he pitched good. He kept us in the game and left in the 7th inning with the lead. Granted Chase Utley hit his 3rd HR of this World Series off of him, but the Yanks still led 4-3. Joba Chamberlain was lights out until that 2 strike pitch to Pedro Feliz. Feliz hit a ball into the left field stands to tie the game at 4, with 2 outs in the 8th. But then, DESTINY made an appearance in the 9th.

Phillies closer Brad Lidge got Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter for the 1st 2 outs, then got to a 1-2 count on Johnny Damon. Damon then put together one of the best Yankee at-bats of the season. He got the count to 3-2 and proceded to foul off pitch after pitch from Lidge. (This sounds alot like Paul O'Neill's at-bat against the Mets' Armando Benitez in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series. That game, because of O'Neill's at-bat, got the rally going for the Yanks to tie the game and eventually win. They later went on to the win the World Series.) Back to Damon, he got a hit to left field. Then stole 2nd and stole 3rd because no one was covering 3rd as a result of the infield shift given to Mark Teixeria. Tex gets hit with a pitch and Alex Rodriguez gets a hit to score Damon and the Yankees took off.

A-Rod has been amazing in the clutch this October and if they are able to finish the Phils off, Alex will be a World Champion. Something that has elluded him his entire career. Now, he is 1 win away from further cementing his legacy. He was brought in to the Bronx in '04 to win a championship every year. Not easy to do, but if the Yanks do win this series, A-Rod will be a BIG reason why.

Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada did their part to help the Yankees win Game 4 last night, just like they've done for the last 4 Yankee World Championships. Is there time for another one? You bet ya!

AJ Burnett takes the ball tonight on 3 days rest with the chance to win the World Series. This is why they shelled out $80 million for him last offseason. CC has held up his end of the agreement, now AJ needs to. If he doesn't, then old reliable Andy Pettitte will be waiting in the wings on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium against Pedro Martinez.

Today, will be the day the Yankees win the World Series. Today, the Yankees become World Champions!

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Tags: AJ Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Baseball, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Joba Chamberlain, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Philadelphia Phillies, World Series, Yankees

I wonder how these next 3 games in Philly will pan out. It's not going to be an easy trip for the Yanks. I have all the confidence in the world in Andy Pettitte in Game 3 tonight, but to be honest...I am scared of that Philly offense.


They are so good top to bottom, that it's hard to relax when they're at the plate. Andy is going to keep us in the game tonight, that I know. It's the bullpen that worries me a bit. You can keep going to Mariano Rivera for 6 outs. Eventually the Phillies will get to him. Yes, they are that good. Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, our stars of the future have to come up big in the present and lead us to a championship. If they can overcome their subpar October, it provide them with a huge boost in confidence for next year and the years to come.

Tonight, the Yankees go for a 2-1 lead in this World Series. A series with 2 evenly matched teams. Game 3's always are a big game, and tonight is no exception. Alex Rodriguez needs his bat to wake up. Citizen's Bank Ballpark is a hitter's park so hopefully that will help A-Rod. I hope Kate Hudson makes the trip over to Philly. We need some more October magic.

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Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain, Mariano Rivera, Phil Hughes, Philadelphia Phillies, World Series, Yankees

I really like this matchup. Both lineups are evenly matched and can go blow for blow with one another. It should be entertaining, but the big difference is the pitching. The Yankees have it, both starting and in the bullpen. Pitching wins championships, and this will be no different. Cliff Lee has gotten knocked around by the Yanks in the past, but if he does hold up, he's still going against CC Sabathia. After Lee, who else can you really rely on? The Yanks have more reliable options in Andy Pettitte and AJ Burnett. The Yanks also have Mariano Rivera in the 'pen to close out as many games as possible. If he has to go 2 innings, he will. 3 innings? He will. Phillies' Brad Lidge is good, but not that good. That's all you need to know there. Advantage Yankees.


World Series Prediction:

Yankees in 6. It will be a good series but ultimately the Yankees are the better all around team and it will show in this series as it has in the previous 2. A-Rod and CC continue to have a great postseason. Meanwhile the depth of the lineup will come through and pick up where Alex cant.

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Tags: AJ Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, Mariano Rivera, Philadelphia Phillies, World Series, Yankees

The Yankees are going to the World Series! For the 40th timein franchise history and 1st since 2003, the Bombers will be in the Fall Classic.

The Yankees defeated the Angels 4 games to 2 in the ALCS to win the American League Pennant. The win puts the Yankees up against the Phillies in the World Series starting Wednesday night in the Bronx.

Congratulations to the Yankees in reaching the World Series. Time to bring one home boys!

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Tags: Baseball, Los Angeles Angels, New Yankee Stadium, Philadelphia Phillies, World Series, Yankees

What a week it has been for the Bronx Bombers. Here's a recap of the insane week the Yankees have had to this point so far.

Monday:
Twins 6
Yankees 7

Teixeria and A-Rod delivered first inning homers and the Yanks never looked back. They completed a 4 game sweep of Minnesota.

Tuesday:
Orioles 1
Yankees 9

A-Rod homers in his fourth straight game! CC dominates again through seven and gets his third win in as many starts. Yanks roll to their seventh straight!

Wednesday:
Orioles 4
Yankees 11

No stopping the Bombers, as they win their eigth in a row. Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera hit three consecutive homers in the second inning. Phil Hughes struck out a career-high nine over five solid innings.

Thursday:
Orioles 4
Yankees 7

Streak hits nine as Cano hits another homer. The story of the game was the Yankees bullpen as they held down Baltimore in relief of Joba who left the game in the first after being hit by a line drive on his knee. First nine game winning streak since June of 2007.

Friday:
Phillies 7
Yankees 3

The World Champs came in and ended the winning streak via the long ball. The Phils hit four homers in the win. The Yanks did their best with three of their own, by Jeter,A-Rod and Tex but it wasn't enough to pull out number 10.

Saturday:
Philles 4
Yankees 5

A-Rod does it again! He hits another late inning homerun when the Yanks need it the most. Down 4-2 in the ninth and Alex sends a Brad Lidge pitch into the seats in right. This sets up Melky Cabrera's 3rd walk off hit this season. The Yanks are finding ways to win games, a sign of a team clicking on all the right cylinders.




Share your thoughts on The Forum: http://www.chasingrecords.com/

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Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Balitmore Orioles, Baseball, CC Sabathia, Derek Jeter, Joba Chamberlain, Mark Teixeira, Melky Cabrera, Minnesota Twins, Nick Swisher, Philadelphia Phillies, Robinson Cano, Yankees

The NL MVP was announced on Monday and the award went to Albert Pujols of the Cardinals. It is Pujols' second MVP award, his first one coming in 2005. The Phillies' Ryan Howard placed second in the voting.

Pujols hit .357 37 HR and 116 RBIs while playing with a sore right elbow. Pujols got 18 of the 32 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. It seemed like many people thought Pujols would get the MVP nod over Howard because Albert played on a team that was in contention until September mainly because of his production. Howard led the majors with 48 HR and 146 RBIs but ultimately lost out on the award. Pujols had a significant advantage over Howard when it came to batting average (.357 to .251) , slugging percentage (.653 to .543) , and on-base percentage (.462 to .339). Howard also got to the plate 50 more times than Pujols with runners in scoring position. So that could've been a factor the writers took into account as well. Pujols earned a $200,000 bonus for winning the award.

This was a good call by the writers. Even tho the Cardinals didn't make the playoffs Pujols was the right choice. He hit .398 in August that kept the Cards in the playoff hunt into September, he also had no supporting cast around him, not to mention he dealt with a sore elbow all year. Gotta give the him credit where credit is due. Howard did help the Phillies past the Mets in Septemeber by having his best month at the plate. He set a team record with 32 RBI in the season's final month.

The AL MVP will be announced on Tuesday. That choice was a lot tougher to make because there wasn't one clear cut winner. It'll be interesting to see who wins as both the Red Sox and Twins have a couple men up for the award.

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Tags: Albert Pujols, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Other, Philadelphia Phillies, St Louis Cardinals

I recently received an email by a reader who wanted to share her love of sports and nightlife with us. Her name is Amanda, she's from Philadelphia, she's apart of the Philly Music Video Street Team, she's also a huge of the Phillies. I think it's great when someone is passionated about their teams and their sports. Amanda does an excellent job of showing some Philly pride. Now just as a sidenote, this was written earlier this year. It's based on Philly culture, nightlife and sports. Hope you guys enjoy this special contribution from Amanda.


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Philly Music Video/clubs/sports April/2008


Most clubs have the potential to create a good time. However, few are among the upper echelon of excellence.

Nightlife varies from region to region. The best party cities in the US are traditionally defined as New York, Los Angeles, and most recently Miami.

L.A. and Miami have the benefit of warm weather to enhance their appeal. New York has no scenic advantage, but manages to consistently be the city that sets the precedent for exquisite night life.

So I wonder why in the city of Philadelphia, a city that has so much pride and so much heart (and let’s not forgot cheese steaks, the best late night food ever!) are these clubs so few and far between.

We can’t manage to win a championship, but Philly fans are the most devout ever. It’s not enough for us to love our teams, everyone else even considering coming to South Philly for a game has to embrace and love our teams too. Come on, what other city has a precent in their stadium to hold enthusiastic fans that get a little too crazy?

Even though the Eagles didn’t even make it to the playoffs this year, the love at the Linc was so strong on any given Sunday that you would think we already had super bowl rings. When the 07’ football season ended without avoiding the curse. The momentum for the Sixers and Flyers was already in full swing. We are so sure that one of these teams if not both (*the Sixers and the Flyers both qualified for playoff spots this season*) will be the ones to break the curse, and give Philly its long awaited, much anticipated, and well deserved championship. If they can’t get it together to win big this season, then there is always our beloved Phillies who are certain to bring on a Broad Street parade.

So with moral of this magnitude Philly has no excuse not to be the Golden Global (yeah that’s right even better then Ibiza) standard of nightlife…Unless William Penn cursed night life as well…

The Curse:

Anyone living in Philly that has been even semi- conscience since 1987 is aware of that damn William Penn curse plaguing our city.

And like most of my partying peers we want a championship we can remember. I was 1 when the Sixers defeated the Lakers in our last Philadelphia championship victory. I want to experience the ambiance reminiscent of that magical era, but remixed to reflect all that Philly is, and all that is has become.

So even if we don’t get to see a Philadelphia team break the curse and win a championship game. I still want to pop bottles and party like we took home championship rings!

Death is nothing, but to live defeated is to die every day.
Napoleon Bonaparte
1769-1821

So what, we have some crazy azz curse. A touch of darkness only adds to Philly’s mystique. Philadelphia is not by any means defeated. Hey, even Rocky had to get knocked down before he got back up.

We are all too familiar with increasing violence that has inflicted our city, and seems to have infected some of our youth. The media and even some fellow Philadelphians are calling the city of brotherly love, killadelphia…how’s that for irony?

On a lighter note amongst all that is bad about Philly there is so much more that truly makes the city shine. Cheese steaks, water ice, culture, arts, the Mummers, South St., SOUTH PHILLY!!, olde city, just to mention a few, but the list could go on for days.

It’s the dawn of a new day. We have a new mayor. We have a chance to vote in the democratic primary this year. Philly’s pride, strength, and heart transcends any curse.

So to elevate the curse I present to you, Philadelphia…

The Gift:

Clearly we have what it takes to survive in the city, but do we have what it takes to revive the city?

The atmosphere of a city is captured in the clubs. It is a reflection of the spirit and energy of a city.



Philadelphia has all of the ingrediants for the recipe of superior nite life. Its just a matter of bringing them all together to elevate Philly to the top tier of nite life excellence.

Philadelphia was our nations first capital. Clearly, we have what it takes to start a revolution. So Philadelphia I invite you to partake in the revolution of Philly nite life, and you have VIP access to be a part of Philly’s rise to prominence, to reclaim our number one spot. I believe that the summer of 08’ will redefine Philadelphia nite life, and take Philly to another level. You will be able to go to the best city to party without ever leaving the city.


Veni, vidi, vici
Julius Caesar

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Much love goes out to Amanda and the Philly Music Video Street Team. I want to personally thank them for reading the blog and supporting myself and ChasingRecords. If you have something that is sports related and you would like to submit it please contact us.

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Tags: FanPost, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies

Two games into the 2008 World Series and we are tied 1-1. Where am I going with this? Game 7 in Tampa, thats where. It's a tough call as far as giving a prediction for who's winning this series but I think I will have to go with the Rays. Rays in seven again!

Here's how I view it:

Starting Pitching
Advatage: Rays
James Shields has pitched well this postseason and Matt Garza's impressive ALCS performance earns them the edge here. Phillies' Cole Hamels can't pitch every game, that becomes a problem considering the rest of the rotation is questionable, but it's possible they can get the job done, I just like the stability of the Rays' staff over the course of a long series.

Bullpen
Advatage: Phillies
The Rays don't have a closer unless they plan on using David Price, which they should do. The Phillies 1-2 combo of Ryan Madsen and Brad Lidge are untouchable and have been lights out this October. That's a HUGE factor in October. This is the biggest difference between the teams.

Lineup
Advantage: Even
Philly with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell can go to-to-toe with BJ Upton, Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford. So far we haven't seen as much offense as we thought we might see but the guys listed can certainly set off some fireworks.

Defense
Advantage: Rays
This is a close call but the Rays all around defense is stellar. The outfield is one of the game's best. Upton and Crawford for TB cover a lot of ground. Philly's outfield isn't bad either led by Shane Victorino but TB has the edge there. As far as the rest of the infield it's a tough call but I gotta call it even there. While Philly I think has the better doubleplay combo TB has Dioneer Navarro behind the plate and I think he's the main difference maker. He has come into his own this year and has the almighty task of directing the pitching staff, that kind of leadership is important in a series like this. A plus is he can throw out runners, that's important because if Rollins or Victorino ever get on base, they'll think twice before swiping a bag.

Rays won my breakdown 2-1-1. Hey, I told you it's close but when it comes down to the playoffs, starting pitching is the most important thing. If the Rays can take the lead early then they have a good shot at keeping it, but if Philly has a lead late in the game it'll be tough for Tampa to comeback. I hope people have been watching this series as it's been competitive so far and the trend looks to continue as the series progresses. I won't be disappointed if Philly wins because then it means they can show up to Citi Field next season with their world championship hats and t-shirts. They can taunt the Mets fans all year long and I would love to see it. If Tampa wins and not only am I right with my prediction but it completes the Cinderella story for 2008. Let's hope for a memorable World Series, that's what I'm rooting for the most.

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Tags: Baseball, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, World Series

I can honestly say the 2007 NY Mets are done. Thier slogan coming into this season: "Your Season has Come." I think that seems more apporiate for the Phillies. The slogan for the final weekend of the regular season at Shea might as well be "Your Season has Come and Gone." I might be stepping on some toes when bashing the Mets but isn't that what makes the Yankees-Mets fan rivalry so great?

I honestly thought that last night the Mets would turn it around, but quickly it turned ugly. 2-0 in the 1st inning and the rest is history. As a die-hard Yankee fan, I am loving every minute of the Mets fan's misery. I mean come on, why not? All year long all I heard was "..at least we're in first place" and now finally, when it's really matters..on the brink of the postseason, the Mets are pretty much sleeping in the death beds they made for themselves. I am loving this stretch run that has now seen the Phillies overtake the Mets atop the NL East. I have stuck by my Yanks all season long and I'm proud to say that they overcame such a horrible start. Yankee fans support their team all year..Met fans seemed to have abandoned their team this week. Where have all the Mets fans gone? Shea Stadium was empty and quiet all week. Yankee Stadium is always filled, even through the days of being 21-29 and 14.5 out.

And the debate begins..which team has the more loyal fans? I'd say just look at the attendance figures and that will give you your answer. I dont want to hear we're suppose to win because we have a high payroll (which is NOT $200 million), because the Mets have a high payroll themselves. So that has no bearing on the debate. This is why I chose to write a bloq on the Mets collapse. I dont think they deserve to make it to October. The Phillies have earned their way into the dance. The same way, I hate to admit this...the 2004 Red Sox earned their World Series victory. Citizens Bank Ballpark is filled with excitement, with fire, with hunger and mostly importantly..with fans that are sticking by their team down the stretch and yes, the fans are playing a part in this all. Where do you think the Phillies are getting the fire from? From fans that believe. Jimmy Rollins doesn't look so stupid now for his bold preseason prediction proclaming "..the Phillies are the team to beat." He has proven to back up his words with an MVP caliber season. He has proved HE is the best SS in the National League. He's started every single game this season. Jose Reyes isn't dancing around anymore is he? 2 stolen bases in the last 2 weeks? He isn't even the best SS in New York...yes I said it, because Derek Jeter gets the big hits and makes everyone else around him better. Reyes has been left for dead during the recent slide and a "great" player doesn't do that. That's what seperates Jeter and Reyes..and the four championship rings Derek has.

Look at the faces and they tell you the story. There's no confidence and there's the look of desperation and frustration. Everything that can go wrong is going wrong. It looks like it's going to be a quiet October in Queens...unless of course the Mets win the next two games. Even that might not help if the Phils keep winning.

Most Met fans have chosen to look the other way this week. And now it's the Yankee fan's turn to gloat just a bit. We're not cocky fans, we're just proud of our team and can't stand when other fans make premature statements and take pride for something they have not won or accomplished. No more excuses, 2 games to go...2 games out of the wild card and 1 game out in the NL East...doesnt look good for the Mets, but I'll tell you what is amazin...the potental collapse of the 2007 NY Mets.

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Tags: Baseball, Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, Jose Reyes, Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Yankees