Potential World Series Matchups

The NBA had it's hopes set on LeBron vs Kobe (some would refer to it as Cavs vs Lakers), however David Stern's marketing dreams were shattered when the Orlando Magic beat LeBron and Cleveland, and half of America tuned out of the NBA Finals as the Lakers beat the Magic in 5 games. No LeBron/Kobe shirts, no "where LeBron vs Kobe happens" NBA commercials, nothing. This leaves me wondering, what matchups are most appealing for baseball? Here's the pro's and con's of each possible matchup.

Dodgers vs Yankees - Aside from this Los Angeles vs New York rivalry, the most appealing story is Joe Torre vs the Yankees. All Torre ever did for George Steinbrenner was lead them to 12 straight postseasons in his 12 years managing the club. The Yankees won the World Series in 3 of Torre's first 4 seasons with the club, but after 12 years with the Yankees, just getting to the playoffs was not enough. Torre felt Steinbrenner's single season contract offer was a slap in the face, and declined returning to the high-stress managing position in New York. Less than 2 weeks later, Torre moved west to manage the Dodgers, where he has won the NL West the past 2 years (14 consecutive postseasons for this guy, WOW) . Oh yeah, he also published a nice little book about his experiences as the Yankees manager. MLB's ideal World Series matchup is Yankees vs Dodgers.

Dodgers vs Angels - We'll start with the obvious here, it's a freeway series. Two LA teams in the World series, ooh la la. However for those of us on the West Coast, we know that this "East Coast Bias" exists in part because our games are on so late back east. Not that New Yorkers wouldn't watch this series, the baseball fans definitely would, but for those who watch baseball just because it's on, staying up until 1 AM to catch the 9th inning of a World Series based in Los Angeles has little appeal. So here's some appeal aside from the LA vs LA headliner: Mike Scioscia and the LA Dodgers. Scioscia played a huge role in the Dodgers' 1988 championship, and is beloved in Los Angeles. However he also spent a number of years lingering around in the Dodgers' minor league system as a manager, and in 1999, after being overlooked for the 3rd time since Tommy Lasorda's retirement, the Angels scooped up Scioscia. Scioscia vs Torre, two great managers - Scioscia vs the Dodgers, a former Dodger out for revenge against the team that wouldn't promote him.

Phillies vs Angels - Not gonna lie, little appeal here. Phillies could win their 2nd straight World Series, Angels could win it for the late Nick Adenhart. Both nice stories, but not as juicy as the 2 matchups above.

Phillies vs Yankees - Again, the Phillies could become the first team since the Yankees to win consecutive World Series rings, and the Yankees could win their first World Series in nearly a decade. Both great teams, but little rivalry involved.