2003 Chicago Cubs vs 1958 New York Yankees
1958 New York Yankees
Round 1: Defeated 83 White Sox 3 to 1
Record: 92-62
Finish: Won World Series
Manager: Casey Stengel
Ball park: Yankee Stadium
Runs scored: 759
Runs allowed: 577
Team AVG: .268
Team ERA: 3.22
Home Runs: 164
Stolen bases: 48
Key players: Mickey Mantle OF (.304, 42 HR, 97 RBI), Bob Turley (21-7, 2.97 ERA), Yogi Berra C (.266, 22 HR, 90 RBI)
1958 New York Yankees Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
2003 Chicago Cubs
Round 1: Defeated 1902 Pirates 3-1
Record: 88-74
Finish: Lost in NLCS
Manager: Dusty Baker
Ball park: Wrigley Field
Runs scored: 724
Runs allowed: 683
Team AVG: .259
Team ERA: 3.83
Home Runs: 172
Stolen bases: 73
Key players: Mark Prior SP (18-6, 2.43 ERA), Sammy Sosa OF (.279, 40 HR, 43 RBI), Moises Alou OF (.280, 22 HR, 91 RBI)
2003 Chicago Cubs Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
Series Analysis
Hitting - Two good hitting ballclubs but I dont think anyone would really call either one great. The two main sluggers in Sammy Sosa and Mickey Mantle are the focal points but neither had even close to a career season. Neither team really likes to run or has a hitter over the .315 mark in average. The Cubs likley have the deeper bench with Kenny Lofton and Eric Kasrros part of the mix and the young Aramis Ramirez and Corey Patterson could be an ultimate keys. Elston howard is a bat that Stengel will want to keep in the lineup but the Yankees dont really have the classic Yankee lineup that puts the fear in a pitching staff. It is very close but the Cubs just may have a little bit more here.
Advantage: 2003 Chicago Cubs
Pitching - Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are in all their glory and can easily overpower hitters and take over a game as one of the best one two punches of the eara. A young Carlos Zambrano will be a wild card whit Matt Clement and any other starters arnt close to the top two. The Yankees are lead by Whitey Ford and Bob Turley, both known winners and mistake free hurlers. Looking deeper one can say that the Cubs starting pitching is better of the two teams but the issue becomes flipped when looking beyond. The Cubs bullpen is a very big achillies heal to the entire team and and no real middle man or dominant closer exists; Chicago will have issues in the close ones. Big game pitcher Don Larson and closer Ryne Duren put the Yankees over the top in the final call.
Advantage: 58 Yankees
Overall: Everyone knows the story of the 03 Cubs and how they let the big one slip away. In many ways these two teams are opposites in that regard as the Yankees always seem to find a a way to win. Talent wise the Cubs have alot to offer especially against an aging Yankee team, if New York could keep the games close and go at the Cubs pen, they will have success. The spotlight of Mantle vs Sosa will also be quite interesting to see as the tape measures will be out. Expect a close series but in the end one would really have to be brave to go against the winningest group of guys against a team that even has the Gods against them.
Prediction: 58 Yankees in 7
Probable Pitching Matchups
Game 1 at Yankee Stadium: Mark Prior (18-6, 2.43) vs Whitey Ford (14-7, 2.01)
Game 2 at Yankee Stadium: Kerry Wood (14-11, 3.20) vs Bob Turley (21-7, 2.97)
Game 3 at Wrigley Field: Don Larsen (9-6, 3.07) vs Carlos Zambrano (13-11, 3.11)