Team of Density

Dave Paisley

Well, it's pretty evident by now that the Yankees are indeed a team of destiny. Not only that, they have such unstoppable momentum that they're also a team of density. Like the Titanic headed towards the iceberg, the Yanks appear to be on a collision course with their third straight World Series championship.

This isn't the team that won 114 games a couple of years ago. In fact, on paper it's a pretty average-looking club. But Roger Clemens didn't toss any one-hitters during the regular season, and Tino Martinez was a barely adequate first baseman. And this is still a team that features Scott Brosius at third and Luis Sojo and Jose Vizcaino at second.

None of that matters now, though, as the Yankees weave their magic. Need a big first inning? Down one run late in the game? No problem, just drag out the pitching voodoo doll and stick a few pins in it. It worked once on Gil Heredia of the A's, twice on Arthur Rhodes of the Mariners, and now once more on Armando Benitez. Well, OK, it's not like Benitez needs to be specially hexed to throw a game, but you get the idea.

Without the first-inning collapse by Heredia in Game 5 of the Division Series the Yanks would have been fishing the last two weeks. If Arthur Rhodes hadn't collapsed in Game 2 of the ALCS, the Yanks would have been down 0-2 and heading for three games on the road with their backs against the wall. If Rhodes hadn't collapsed again in Game 6 of the ALCS, the Yanks may have succumbed to the Mariners in a possible Game 7. If Benitez had hung on to save Game 1 of the World Series, the Mets might not be clinging to a rapidly fraying rope of hope as they head to Shea.

Sure, the '96 Yankees lost the first two games, at home even, and came back to win the Series. But that doesn't mean the normal rules don't apply. The Mets now have to win four of five, while the Yanks only have to win two. Most of the time, the latter team wins.

Then there's the Todd Zeile fly ball that bounced off the top of the wall and back into play. How much evidence do we need that Joe Torre has some magic device that alters the laws of physics?

In addition to the luck, though, there's another factor, and that's Roger Clemens. With Seattle looking to fight its way back into the ALCS down 1-2, Clemens tossed his one-hitter and virtually guaranteed the Yankees a series win, up 3-1 at that point.

Similarly, down 0-1, the Mets desperately needed to win Game 2 and Clemens stepped it up once more, turning in a vintage two-hit eight-inning Rocket performance to completely shut down the Mets (Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera's incendiary performances in the ninth notwithstanding.) It's not like that's been a sure thing for Clemens, either, as his performance in Game 4 of the Division Series will attest.

While Mike Hampton may be good, three stellar outings in a row are a bit too much to ask. A little bit of offensive support is generally required to win games. And as the very astute Tim McCarver observed on Fox with the Mets down 0-5 in the seventh, "If the Mets don't score at least five runs, they'll lose this game." And that's why he gets paid the big bucks. Baseball for brain surgeons, indeed.

Down 0-2, the pressure shifts to the Mets' second tier of starters in Game 3 and 4. Can Rick Reed and Bobby Jones stand up against Orlando Hernandez and David Cone or Denny Neagle? Given the luck of the former (Rhodes' two meltdowns made a winner of him in both games) I figure the Mets will be extremely fortunate to win Game 3. If they don't, it's pretty much all over.

I'd like to see the Mets stage a comeback, but if they don't then at least we won't be subjected to extreme closeups of Andy Pettitte's dimpled chin on Wednesday. And maybe, just maybe, this will be enough to jinx them out of the Series.

Dave Paisley is selling his press passes on eBay. If you think you can comb your hair and obtain enough cosmetic surgery to resemble the photo on the passes, make your bid at drdjp@strikethree.com.

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