ESPN

Steve Phillips

  (1:00 PM)

And then there were four! These are four very good teams left. We've got a chance for some of the best playoff baseball in a long time. What's on everyone's mind?

Chris (Mansfield, MA)

Hey Steve, do you think the Yankees can really go with a 3-man rotation in the ALCS? Is there a precedent for this?

Steve Phillips

  (1:03 PM)

I don't like the idea of a three-man rotation. I know that CC Sabathia threw four consecutive short-rest games last year, but they weren't against the Angels. The only way I would be in favor of the three-man rotation is if they're down going in to game four. Then I think it makes sense. If they're up 2-1 or 3-0, I think they should pitch Chad Gaudin. The risk for the Yankees in pitching Sabathia in Game 4, if they're up 2-1 and he loses, they'll have Burnett pitching in the most critical game of their career. It could swing the series dramatically in the other direction. I think players should be set up to succeed, not fail, and the track record for pitchers starting on short rest is not very good.

Oliver (Germany)

If there's any truth in the Jonathan Papelbon trade rumours, whocould be a potential fit for the Red Sox. In my opinion this couls only be a playoff contender in need of a great closer with high salary demands (and a lousy closer right now). The Cubs? The White Sox? The Rays?

Steve Phillips

  (1:05 PM)

I think there is a good chance Jonathan Papelbon has thrown his last pitches for the Red Sox. They love Daniel Bard and believe he is the closer of the future. He has great stuff and the Red Sox believe he has the stomach for the role as well. A lot of teams would have interest in Papelbon, including the Cubs, Tigers, White Sox, Rays, possibly the Phillies. He is an elite closer who should bring back a significant return and might allow the Red Sox to plug holes without jumping into the free agent market, as would be their preference.

roger (Atlantic City)

Can a relief pitcher (Lidge) really turn around his season because of two good outings or is this just silly talk? - is the confidence factor overblown?

Steve Phillips

  (1:07 PM)

I think the Phillies are trying to sell a turnaround to Brad Lidge as much as they are trying to sell it to the fans. Confidence is a major factor in any player and seems to be a significant issue when it comes to Lidge and his success or failure. I'm dubious that he has resolved his problems, as he did walk two in one of the saves. No matter what the Phillies say, they will be worried about him. I hope he does well, because he is a good guy who cares. In fact, he probably cares too much at times.

Paul (Los Angeles)

Are the Dodgers as big of a underdog as all the analysts make them out to be? It seems as the Dodgers will be lucky to win 2 games against the Phillys, according to the ESPN analysts.

Steve Phillips

  (1:10 PM)

I'm picking the Dodgers to beat the Phillies myself. I think the Dodgers bullpen is head and shoulders better than the Phillies bullpen. While I like the Phillies starting pitching better than the Dodgers, there is not a dramatic difference between the two teams. I think the Dodgers can steal a game or two late against the Phillies bullpen, and that will be the difference. The Phillies are a very good team with tremendous character and I won't be shocked if they win, but Torre has been here before and I think he will make the right moves. The Dodgers' lefthanders of Wolf, Kershaw, Kuo, and Sherrill will be major factors in this series and can neutralize the powerful left-hander bats of the Phillies.

Rich (Philadelphia, PA)

Good Afternoon Steve! Do you think we'll see the old Cole Hamels tomorrow night?

Steve Phillips

  (1:11 PM)

Hamels has had a disappointing season and was disappointing in his division series start. I'm willing to bet that Hamels will be effective, however, in the championship series. He has last year to draw upon to help him through difficult situations this year, plus a lot of times, the birth of a baby gives a player significant motivation, and I expect it may have that effect on Hamels as well.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

There is talk of temperatures in the 40s and snow flurries in the Northeast this weekend. Do you think Bud Selig will ever consider bringing back day baseball for the LCS and World Series? At the very least we need to get the regular season over sooner.

Steve Phillips

  (1:13 PM)

I don't think we're going to see day baseball for the LCS and World Series. TV contracts are too lucrative to do so. I think we should give Selig some credit for getting start times moved up as is. We had 6:00 and 9:00 start times in the LDS, which is a little bit better.

Harry (Babylon)

Steve - what unsung players should we keep on eye on in the ALCS and NLCS?

Steve Phillips

  (1:16 PM)

In the Yankees-Angels series, the middle infielders for the Angels are very good players that people don't really know about. Maicier Izturis, Erick Aybar, and Howie Kendrick can all impact the game in multiple ways. Offensively, they are slashers who tend to find a way to advance runners and come up with a big hit. The other thing to watch, and this is striking, is that the Angels play defense at a different speed than everybody else. They have more range than any team in the infield that I've seen in recent history, and they are exciting to watch. They get to balls other teams don't even dream of getting to. In the NL, we hear a lot about Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, and Manny Ramirez, but Rafael Furcal seems to be playing inspired baseball right now and may be the catalyst to an upset.

Justin (Santa Barbara)

What do you think of Mike Scioscia's decision to start Joe Saunders in Game 2 instead of Jered Weaver?

Steve Phillips

  (1:19 PM)

I think Mike Scioscia knows his team as well as any manager in the game. This team has gone through a lot over the course of the season. Scioscia is considering all of the factors, including home and road records, splitting up lefties and righties, and matchups, to arrive at his decision. Joe Saunders finished the season strong after tendinitis beset him midyear. He has the ability to change speeds and throw strikes, which is necessary for facing the Yankees. You can't go wrong 1-4 in the Angels rotation, as I think their rotation is the deepest in baseball.

Mike (Ambler, PA)

Happ struggled in the NLDS, and the Dodgers love lefty starters anyway...when do we get Pedro-mania on the mound?!

Steve Phillips

  (1:22 PM)

The Phillies' starting pitching is interesting in that after Lee and Hamels, they have three pretty good choices, with Martinez, Blanton, and Happ. One of the keys to beating the Dodgers is shutting down Andre Ethier, and Ethier has far lesser numbers against lefty pitching this season. Pedro against the Dodgers would be an interesting play for the Phillies, as it would stir a lot of different emotions in Pedro. An emotional Pedro tends to be a productive Pedro. I suspect he may get a game 4 start.

Ryan (FL)

Who wins Yankees or Angels?

Steve Phillips

  (1:24 PM)

I think it's gonna be a seven-game series, and my original thought was to pick the Angels. After calling the Yankees-Twins series and seeing them play firsthand, I have amended my selection and I think the Yankees will win in seven games. I like the Angels' starting pitching depth better, the Yankees' offense better, and the Angels' defense better. But the deciding factor is the difference between the two bullpens. Fuentes is good but he's no Mariano Rivera. The Yankees crush middle relievers and marginal closers, as indicated by their 51 come-from-behind wins this year, and 25 wins in their last at-bat. If the Yankees keep it close, they have a chance to win, and when they have the lead, they hold on to it. I think the difference will be a perfect Rivera against a blown save by the Angels.

Matthew (Ohio)

Do you think the east coast weather will affect the LA teams in either series?

Steve Phillips

  (1:26 PM)

The only way I really expect weather to impact the Angels in particular is if there is a rainout, which allows CC Sabathia to pitch Game Four on full rest. That would not bode well for the Angels in this series. Otherwise, teams have played in cold, rainy weather before, and had success. I think it will come down to the players playing the game and not the weather conditions.

Eddy (Whittier, CA)

Good afternoon Steve.Much is made of both the Angels' and Yanks' offense, runs and homers - etc.. The Yanks is statistically better. However, my thoughts are that because of New Yankee Stadium, the Yankees' numbers are a bit overblown, therebye leaving the Angels as the real complete offensive Team. Your Thoughts ??

Steve Phillips

  (1:29 PM)

They're both very good offensive teams. The Yankees' numbers are hard to argue, with seven players with 20 or more home runs, 8 with 65 or more RBIs, four with over 100 runs scored (including the seven-hitter, Robinson Cano)--that's unheard of. The Yankees have a circular lineup. Each hitter is the same...they hit for average, power, walk, and drive in runs. I like the Angels offense as well as they have produced the most productive outs in the majors. As is often the case, they also are the best in the majors in baserunning. With A.J. Burnett on the mound, you may see a track meet break out as the Angels will look to steal bases.

Steve Phillips

  (1:30 PM)

The one thing the Angels can do is manufacture runs in a close game by getting someone on, over, and in. The difference for the Yankees is that they, for most of their lineup, have a runner in scoring position just when that hitter is standing at the plate because of their power. We saw that in the Minnesota series as the Yankees capitalized in six home runs.

Steve Phillips

  (1:30 PM)

I hope your team is still in it, and I hope they win. I think it'll be Dodgers-Yankees in the 2009 World Series. Thanks for your questions, talk to you next week.