Team of the Decade?

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick has a story up today about deciphering the Team of the Decade. He says the 2009 World Series will go a long way toward deciding things. If the Yankees win, he says there's no doubt they are the Team. But then he goes on to talk about the Phillies having a shot if they win.

That's where he gets a little lost.

Look, the Phillies are a great team. If they win this year, they'll have won back-to-back World Series for the first time since the Yanks won three in a row to end the 90s and start 00s. But seriously, before last year's run, the Phillies were a middling team that nobody cared about. They were just one of the teams fighting for the NL East division title like all the other 86-win teams that play in that division.

There, I said it. Don't deny it. It's true.

But let's back up a second and talk about what it takes to be the Team of the Decade. I even thought about this the other night, so I'm glad that Crasnick took it on.

I used the following criteria for my inner discussion: World Series titles, championship series appearances, playoff appearances and overall wins.

Titles. So, whoever wins this World Series ties with the Red Sox, who, in case you forgot, swept the World Series in 2004 and 2007. And, as much as I want this year's World Series to just be canceled, there has to be a winner.

World Series appearances. I'm counting years in which that team won it, and years in which they lost it. Yanks have been there three times. Sox, Phils and Cards twice. No one else more than once. That takes us to the next tiebreaker: Championship series appearances. That silence you hear is from Philadelphia (shocking that they're quiet, I know) because the Phillies' argument for Team of the Decade just ended.

LCS appearances. In college hoops, making the Final Four is enough of an accomplishment that it (almost) doesn't matter how you do there -- as long as you aren't embarrassed (looking at YOU, 2003 Marquette Golden Eagles). I'm not entirely sure that teams feel that way in baseball, but it's a similar feeling. It's a sign of accomplishment.

In the 00s, the Yankees made five league championship series. That's the most of anyone. That's the tiebreaker for the Yanks if they win the '09 World Series and tie up the BoSox. The Red Sox have made four league championship series, and split two of them with the Yankees.

The only other team that has a shot at winning this tiebreaker would be the Cardinals, the team I thought would be in the World Series this year representing the National League. St. Louis made four NLCS trips this decade. If they won another World Series this decade, they'd be right there with the Red Sox and Yankees (assuming the Yankees win in 2009).

Playoff appearances. We'll continue the tiebreaking even though we know the answers. The Yanks have made every postseason except for one from 2000 to 2009. The Cardinals have made seven. The Red Sox, Braves and Angels have made six appearances. The Twins and Athletics finish the decade with five. The Phillies have made three postseasons since 2000.

Overall wins. Mr. Crasnick gives us the win totals for 2000-2009. Yanks have the most; BoSox second; Cards third.

The bottom line here is simple: The Phillies are a great team this year. They were last year, too. But they don't deserve Team of the Decade status. They've had some above average teams that barely made the playoffs (2007) and a lot of average teams that didn't. Crasnick brings up a fine point -- the Phils have won 80 games more times in the 2000-2009 span than any other NL team. But still, as Crasnick writes, the Phils are 11th in baseball in overall wins since 2000.

Look, it's safe to say that they are the premier powerhouse in the NL now. That's fine. If the Phillies win back-to-back World Series, they enter the discussion for Team of the Decade. But even still, once you step back from the consecutive titles and think about it, they just don't stack up over the whole decade.

Ready for October?

I hope you're ready for this, the best month of the year that isn't March. What a thrilling start to what should be a great postseason. The Twins never-say-die attitude got them this far, and now they're the eighth team in a stacked playoff that will decide your 2009 World Series champ.

It wouldn't be J. Greer Sports if we didn't dish out some predictions, now would it? But I'll let you in on my thought process for these prognostications: I'll give what my brain (and logic) tells me, and I'll give you what I have in my gut. Sometimes those two will match, but there are two series that don't match those feelings up. Let's get to 'em.

Red Sox vs. Angels

My head and gut both tell me that the Sox win this. I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone. I just don't think the Angels can get out of their own way in the playoffs these days. And I don't think it's that crazy to say Jon Lester or Josh Beckett steal a win in Anaheim and the Sox protect their house at Fenway. I'm taking the Sox in four.

Yankees vs. Twins

On paper, the Twins have no shot at winning this series. They could win one game, but logic just says no shot in hell for Minnesota. They arrived in New York at 3 a.m. this morning to play a 6 p.m. game agains the Yanks. The Yankees are a regular murderer's row of hitters -- although we'll see what A-Rod has in store for this postseason -- and C.C. Sabathia seems primed to shake his past postseason demons. But the difference is that A-Rod isn't going to be relied on to deliver all of the punishing blows. Mark Teixeira is about as good as it gets, and nobody is more clutch in the postseason than Derek Jeter. My head tells me the Yanks win in four.

But there's this feeling in my gut that I can't shake, and maybe it's because I was rooting for the Twins yesterday (and I've been rooting against the Yankees since I came out of the womb). A lot of that has to do with some stats I've seen since last night (typical ESPN stat, by the way): Of the four teams who have come from behind to win in the ninth inning or later in one-game playoffs, all four reached the World Series. The most recent, of course, being the Rockies in 2007. There's just something about a hot team like this that makes you hesitate, especially when it's billed as David vs. Goliath. So my gut says Twins in four (gotta win it at the Dome).

Phillies vs. Rockies

Cliff Lee hasn't been very good recently (save for back-t0-back starts against the Nats and the Braves in mid-September). And he's never thrown in the postseason. Doesn't seem like Cole Hamels is as good as we thought -- or maybe he just had an off-year (by the standards we all set for him). Brad Lidge is the most terrifying closer in baseball this year (he's 2009's Joe Borowski). So, that has to make you nervous. But -- and that's a big but -- the Phils have the experience of winning it all and a great lineup. We'll see if that's enough to overcome what I suspect will be a shaky postseason pitching staff. My head tells me the Phils in five.

And my gut tells me Rockies in four.

Cardinals vs. Dodgers

The Cardinals have an incredible one-two punch in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. I read a stat somewhere that said the Cardinals, as a team, have hit .233 against lefties this year. Still, I'd like to see any team's batting average against Carpenter-Wainwright. Therefore, my head -- and gut -- give the Dodgers about a 5 percent chance of winning this series. I'll take the Cards in four.

Twins-Tigers: Who Ya Got?

ESPN is reporting this morning that Brett Favre has saved humanity with a good performance in Week 4 and the entire network will now spend the rest of the week showering Brett with superlatives and breaking down his every move, from screen passes to breathing. There's no truth to the rumor that he will go to Copenhagen and try to get the Olympics for Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Let's talk about today's big news: The Twins and the Tigers will play one game to decide who goes to the playoffs and who doesn't. Talk about crunch time. That Dome will be rocking. I've already been asked who I'm taking in this game, so let's break it down.

The Twins' bats are smoking hot. Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer and Joe Mauer have 44 homers since the All-Star break. Denard Span, Matt Tolbert and Delmon Young are hitting .300 or better since then. So, it's going to be tough for Rick Porcello to make bats miss tonight, and that means he'll need some nice bounces and a good defense behind him. With that Dome-field advantage, I'm not sure he'll get that.

Can Miguel Cabrera get it together? Dude was drunk -- three times over the legal limit -- the night before the Tigers' biggest game of the season. He got home at 5 a.m. and promptly fought his wife, roughing her up in the process. So that begs the question, where's Cabrera's head going into tonight's game? Tonight has become the biggest game of the season for the Tigers, replacing their matchup against the White Sox on Sunday. And they're going to desperately need his bat and improved defense at first if they want a shot at winning.

Which young pitcher will have more nerves? The Twins' Scott Baker, a 27-year-old righty, has become the de facto ace for Minnesota (sorry, Carl Pavano). If he can get off to a quick start and pitch with a lead, he'll be more aggressive in the strike zone with the Dome crowd giving him a boost.

Rick Porcello is about as good as a rookie pitcher can get. The 20-year-old has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but this game may not be one he can win. I don't see his team's offense doing much, and there has to be a long ball or two from the Twins' big boppers.

Plus, who doesn't love Joe Nathan closing it out?

I'm taking the Twins tonight, and I don't think it'll require any late-inning heroics.

J. Greer Is Back!

This comeback is bigger than Ma$e's. Well, maybe not. But still, I figured it's been long enough. The people are hungry, and I'm the man with the goods. So instead of all the usual welcome backs and catching up, let's just do what we do best: BS.

A few thoughts about the world as we know it right now ...

... First of all -- with the full realization that this will upset a LOT of my readers -- there is NO way, no chance, that the Phillies repeat. It's too difficult. And you need to have a bullpen situation figured out before you get to the playoffs.

... I can't wait for Where the Wild Things Are. And while I haven't seen Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, I'd like to. Can't say the same for Surrogates, though. God, Bruce Willis is just weird. Has anyone else noticed how hard he tries to be funny these days? It just falls flat. And this movie looks like a typical action film with a twist -- Bruce Willis in a weird-ass wig.

... I've said it before and I'll say it again: George Lopez is not funny. He will never be funny. So, why has TBS given him a late-night program? And why is TBS using Lopez as its latest version of "Extremely Irritating C-List Celebrity to Promote the Baseball Playoffs"?

... Doesn't get much more embarrassing than Hull City's 6-1 loss to Liverpool and Burnley's 5-0 abomination against the Spurs. Looks like the usual suspects will roam the top of the standings in the Premiership this year. No surprise there.

... I've had a debate with about five different people about this, but I think Joe Mauer is worth as much as Manny Ramirez and A-Rod. His contract runs out after 2010, and like Albert Pujols, Mauer's next contract has to be a huge one. I've read that the Twins like a seven-year, $120 million deal. I don't think that's enough. And it amazes me that Pujols doesn't make $30 million a year. He will soon. Who pays these guys? I don't know, but both are incredibly dedicated to their current clubs. And because they both seem to be nice guys to boot, they might take a discount to keep playing in Minnesota and St. Louis.

... It's October 1, and that means college hoops season is closer than you think. My buddy Jake and I were floating around No. 1 seed predictions today. I'm going with Michigan State, Kansas, North Carolina and Texas. Villanova will be the first 2 seed.

... Sure, the Dodgers are the best team in the National League, but in a league with teams that boast one-two punches like Carpenter-Wainwright and Lee-Hamels, the potpourri of question marks that forms LA's starting rotation is enough to have me worried.

... The Yankees look great as the season ends. But do they have the starters to match the lineup? That's the biggest question.

... Notice the early theme here? Pitching wins titles. Just ask the Phillies how important it was for Brad Lidge to dominate at the back end of the bullpen and Joe Blanton providing a fourth-starter spark.

... I'm reading Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains With the Smith Center Redmen by Joe Drape. I highly recommend it. Next up: Game Six by Mark Frost. Yup, you guessed it: It's about Game Six of the 1975 World Series.

... OK, OK, we can't avoid football for so long. Here are some 3-0 teams that won't make the playoffs: Denver and the Jets. Yeah, I said it.

... Here are teams with losing records that WILL make the playoffs: Pittsburgh and Arizona. Yup, the Super Bowlers from earlier this year. Not really taking much of a risk here.

... Drew Brees is the best fantasy player this year, and I'm not even sure he's the best QB in football.

... Joe Flacco's early-season success is nice, but it won't last. Color me skeptical.

... Minneapolis/St. Paul is a great part of the country. Spent a week there in September and already want to go back.

... I've been on a big SI.com kick lately, and this article is just one reason why. They have lots of staff and lots of good stuff on that site. Not anything new to many sports fans, but I'm just sayin'.

... Uh, delete everything off a phone before you get rid of it. Just an idea.

... Seems like Jermain Defoe is the better option next to Wayne Rooney with England than Emile Heskey.

... Last but not least, follow me on Twitter.