The MVP gapScott Brosius, the 1998 World Series MVP for the Yankees, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.Brosius brings to mind a fun little game you can play that speaks to a major difference between baseball and, say, basketball: Go through the list of World Series and NBA Finals MVPs.Baseball’s list includes guys like Brosius, David Eckstein, Troy Glaus and Pat Borders.Basketball’s list is exclusively superstars and almost exclusively Hall of Famers: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal. The lowest-profile winner since 1990 is your choice between Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker and Paul Pierce — three superstars.The unpredictability of baseball either turns you into a fan, or turns the channel on your TV.Sticker shockThe average ticket for game six on one major Web site was more than $1,000. Early Wednesday afternoon, tickets for a potential game seven ranged from $445 to — ahem — $50,000.The seller of the $50,000 seats notes that these are the second row from the field, and that sitting there sometimes means getting game-used balls.So there’s that.Charlie really loves his guysWednesday marked the five-year anniversary of Charlie Manuel being hired as Phillies manager.The Phillies are 447-363 (.552) in the regular season since, with three consecutive playoff appearances and last year’s World Series championship.“I’m sitting here today talking to you because I’ve got good players,” Manuel said before the game. “I always give them the credit. They have the best attitude I’ve ever been around. I’ve been in baseball a long time, best attitude, best chemistry I’ve ever been around. How much I put into it, I don’t know, believe me.”These late 30-somethings ruleThe starting pitching matchup between 38-year-old Pedro Martinez and 37-year-old Andy Pettitte was the first in a World Series between two pitchers 37 or older since St. Louis’ Woody Williams and Boston’s Tim Wakefield in game one of the 2004 Series.

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Posted on Wed, Nov. 04, 2009 11:30 PM

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World Series notes

Brosius

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The MVP gap

Scott Brosius, the 1998 World Series MVP for the Yankees, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Brosius brings to mind a fun little game you can play that speaks to a major difference between baseball and, say, basketball: Go through the list of World Series and NBA Finals MVPs.

Baseball’s list includes guys like Brosius, David Eckstein, Troy Glaus and Pat Borders.

Basketball’s list is exclusively superstars and almost exclusively Hall of Famers: Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal. The lowest-profile winner since 1990 is your choice between Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker and Paul Pierce — three superstars.

The unpredictability of baseball either turns you into a fan, or turns the channel on your TV.

Sticker shock

The average ticket for game six on one major Web site was more than $1,000. Early Wednesday afternoon, tickets for a potential game seven ranged from $445 to — ahem — $50,000.

The seller of the $50,000 seats notes that these are the second row from the field, and that sitting there sometimes means getting game-used balls.

So there’s that.

Charlie really loves his guys

Wednesday marked the five-year anniversary of Charlie Manuel being hired as Phillies manager.

The Phillies are 447-363 (.552) in the regular season since, with three consecutive playoff appearances and last year’s World Series championship.

“I’m sitting here today talking to you because I’ve got good players,” Manuel said before the game.

“I always give them the credit. They have the best attitude I’ve ever been around. I’ve been in baseball a long time, best attitude, best chemistry I’ve ever been around. How much I put into it, I don’t know, believe me.”

These late 30-somethings rule

The starting pitching matchup between 38-year-old Pedro Martinez and 37-year-old Andy Pettitte was the first in a World Series between two pitchers 37 or older since St. Louis’ Woody Williams and Boston’s Tim Wakefield in game one of the 2004 Series.

| Sam Mellinger, smellinger@kcstar.com

Posted on Wed, Nov. 04, 2009 11:30 PM

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