As much as Phillies fans would enjoy watching their team bludgeon the Yankees or the Red Sox in four games next month, what baseball needs is a good, old-fashioned seven-game World Series.
There have been six championships since the World Series went to a decisive seventh game, with the Angels beating the Giants in 2002.
The last time there was even a five-year gap between seven-game Classics was from 1935 through '39.
And the only time in the history of the Series that there was a longer gap was a weird 11-year period in the decade of the First World War, when there were three best-of-nine series, none of which went the distance.
Worse, as far as drama is concerned, the last five Series have positively zipped by, in five games (Phillies), four (Red Sox), five (Cardinals), four (White Sox), and four (Red Sox). The 2003 Series was a six-gamer, with the Marlins beating the last Yankees entrant.
The last time there were consecutive seven-game World Series was more than 20 years ago, from 1985 through '87, when the Royals beat the Cardinals, the Mets beat the Red Sox, and the Twins beat the Cardinals.
Bring back the drama.
Long time between pitches
Oft-injured Astros pitcher Mike Hampton is already out for next year. Hampton, 37, has undergone surgery for a torn left rotator cuff, and other damage in his shoulder, that will sideline him for the 2010 season, the team said yesterday.
The Astros said surgeons at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York repaired a full tear in the rotator cuff. Hampton missed all of 2006 and 2007 after operations on his elbow. A strained left pectoral muscle limited him to 13 starts last season with the Braves.
San Francisco's fashion plate
The Giants' Pablo Sandoval was sporting a flashy new T-shirt in the clubhouse Monday night. It pictured the Joker from The Dark Knight holding up a wild card with the Giants logo on it, and a one-word slogan below:
"Believe."
Strasburg embarks on career
Highly touted righthander Stephen Strasburg, the No. 1 pick in the draft, will start pitching in the Florida Instructional League a month after he signed with the Nationals.
Strasburg will report to Washington's training complex in Viera, Fla., on Friday. The Nationals also plan to use the 100-m.p.h. flamethrower in the Arizona Fall League.
Noteworthy
The Reds activated outfielder Laynce Nix from the 15-day disabled list. He had been out with a bulging disk in his neck. . . . Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan was scratched from the lineup a day after injuring his left pinkie while diving back to first on a pickoff play.
Contact staff writer Don McKee at 215-854-4611 or
dmckee@phillynews.com.
This article contains information from the Associated Press.
