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                         October 4, 2002

Another Braves-Yankees World Series on the horizon?

Commentary by Jim Fox
Staff Writer

No one outside of Yankees and Atlanta Braves fans want to here this, but the baseball post-season is going to be "déjà vu all over again," to quote Yogi Berra.

With closer Mariano Rivera back, even if held to a one-inning limit, the Yankees should defend their American League crown successfully for the fifth consecutive time.

The Bronx Bombers are a different team this season, having smashed opposing teams offensively more often than wearing them down with fundamentals.

The result should be the same -- the Yankees in the World Series, again.

Atlanta, once again, is the class of the National League, despite the claims of the defending world champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona depends too much on the strong arms of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. The Braves have more depth and finally the one thing they have been missing over the last 11 years since they have been playoff bound – now they have a dominant bullpen.

Starter turned closer John Smoltz is the difference. The Braves can finish games now.

Arizona should dispatch St. Louis in the N.L. Division Series, but then will have to stretch their thin pitching to deal with the Braves.

Look for Atlanta to stop the D’backs run to repeat in the N.L. Championship Series. The loss of their best hitter in Luis Gonzalez rips the guts out what was a clutch, if not potent lineup.

He can’t be replaced.

In the American League Oakland will make short work of the no longer surprising Minnesota Twins. The A’s don’t seem to miss either of the Giambi brothers and should face Jason and the rest of the Bronx Bombers for the right to represent the American League in the Fall Classic.

Oakland and New York will face each other for the third time in a row in the post season. The difference will be that it will be for the right to go to the World Series.

The Yankees and A’s will add another chapter to their already great post-season history, but New York will win, not just because they always beat the A’s in the playoffs, but because New York knows how to win big games in October and Oakland doesn’t.

Oakland’s strong pitching trio of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito are great at racking up victories in the regular season, but are 0-2 when it comes to beating a veteran squad like the Yankees when the pressure of October baseball is applied.

The A’s and Yankees both had good seasons plugging in new personnel, but the Yankees have the pitching edge.

Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina and David Wells form one of the most formidable four-man post-season rotations of all-time. All of them have proven their worth come October.

Add Jeff Weaver and Orlando Hernandez to the bullpen of Rivera, Steve Karsay, Ramiro Mendoza and Mike Stanton and the recipe means depth that will bail the Yankees out of a lot of problems in October. Something Oakland doesn’t have with flame throwing closer Billy Koch and not much else.

So it’s another Braves-Yankees Fall Classic. Sorry, it’s getting a bit monotonous, but the rest of the playoff contenders aren’t ready for primetime. Not this season anyway.