by Keith Smiley

Created on: October 22, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

It seems that the Boston Red Sox have a NL doppelganger in the Colorado Rockies and they are about to heat up, what looks to be, one of the greatest World Series match ups in recent years. On paper these two teams look identical in hitting, pitching, and fielding, but they differ in some key areas on and off of paper.

The key difference in these two ball clubs is that the majority of the Red Sox have been here before and have experienced the pressure coming from expectations of the fans and one's own self. The Rockies are new to this stage in baseball as only their center fielder, Willy Taveras, has ever been to a World Series. On the other side of the field, almost half of their pitching staff has a World Series ring, half of their starting position players have World Series rings, and Terry Francona was with the BoSox when they won last in 2004. There is no doubt that the BoSox have the experience advantage in their favor. However, the Rockies won the 21 of their last 22 games including their lossless post season thus far. Their inexperience may have been a factor in not allowing the pressure of the situation to get the best of them. In 2006, we saw what could happen with inexperience as the Tigers "error"ed themselves out of game after game. Maybe the veteran leadership, who by the way you have to thrilled for, in Todd Helton will be enough to keep their young players level headed and continue to take their focus away from the media and hype of this stage and on the game.

I am putting the deciding factor of these teams on veteran leadership, Jason Varitek and Todd Helton, and also the performance of the young players in the series. If the seasoned vets can keep the heads of the wily kids down, that team will be able to outplay their ideal counterpart as each team looks for glory.

So with this in mind, I'm thinking the BoSox in 6 because the intensity of the surging Rockies and calm, collectedness of the BoSox experience. Their experience has led youngins such as Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury to emerge in the ALCS. These two rookies will be key in defeating, at this point, and unstoppable monster in the Colorado Rockies.

*There's Only ONE October!*

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