NEW YORK -- The Amtrak Series? The I-95 Series? The Turnpike Series? While all of those geographic handles for the Fall Classic between the Yankees and the Phillies are catchy, the numbers suggest that eventually this series might be known by a different name.
The Home Run Series.
The Yankees and Phillies combined for 468 homers this year, the most in history for any World Series opponents. The Yankees led the majors in homers (244), and the Phillies tied for second (224). It is the first time since 1926 that the teams that led their respective leagues in homers have met in the World Series.
This is also the first time that two teams with at least five 20-homer players have met in the World Series. Only one everyday player on either team, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, failed to hit at least 10.
Both teams also play in homer-friendly parks (although one is not as friendly as you'd think), which may further magnify the power display we see in the Series.
"The Yankees and Phillies make any ballpark look small. It doesn't matter if they are playing in the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone"
-- Matt Stairs "The Yankees and Phillies make any ballpark look small," said Phillies veteran Matt Stairs. "It doesn't matter if they are playing in the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. They make ballparks look small. That's how much power there is on these teams."
The record for homers in a World Series is 21, set in 2002 by the Giants (12) and Angels (9). Last year the Phillies hit nine homers in their five-game victory over the Rays.
If this series goes six or seven games, there is the chance that the teams could break that record. Each team has hit 14 homers in nine games so far this postseason.
"It all depends on the pitching," Stairs said. "Usually pitching takes over. A lot of people thought we'd have a lot of homers last series in L.A., but there weren't many hit (16, actually). There could be a lot of homers hit. I'd love to see it. I enjoy watching home runs."
The ballparks also figure to play a role. It's been well documented that the new Yankee Stadium is a bandbox, at least in right field. There were 237 homers hit in Yankees games in the Bronx (2.93 per game, most in the majors), and only 188 in the games on the road (2.32 per game).
Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park also has a homer-friendly reputation, though it may be grater than the reality. There were more homers hit there than at any other National League park (2.56 per game), but there were actually more homers hit in Phillies road games (2.66).
"It's not as small as people think," Stairs said. "It looks small, but (the fence) goes out pretty good to right-center. And there's usually a cross-wind. It's not like Miller Park a couple years ago or Coors Field or Cincinnati. Some balls you have to hit, but on days when it's warm, it's fun."
Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira, who has experience in Philadelphia from his days with the Braves, said that the ballpark does favor the hitters, but not enough to overcome good pitching.
"The fact of the matter is, if they make their pitches, you aren't going to hit homers," Teixeira said.
That's the variable that could slow down one, or both, of these high-powered offenses. Neither of these pitching staffs was particularly effective at preventing homers this year -- again, probably the ballparks have something to do with that -- but the pitchers go into the series knowing that they just have to minimize the damage."The easy way to combat that is to try not to walk guys," Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton said. "Everybody always says solo homers are not going to beat you. If you give up enough of them they will, but it's the two- and three-run homers that really get you."
Both of these teams also are adept at drawing walks. The Phillies in particular made those walks hurt against the Dodgers. They hit four three-run homers in the National League Championship Series against Los Angeles, and six of the eight runners who were on for those homers reached with walks.
"You've still got to attack them," Yankees righty A.J. Burnett said. "It makes it more of a challenge. A lot of guys, especially myself, feed off that challenge."
