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Oct 31Liked by Neil Paine

While I will admit that I didn't watch a whole lot of the Series, the outcome struck me as preordained after watching Game 1. Here are some observations:

*The NL was much stronger than the AL - the Dodgers were battle tested with SD and the Mets. On the other hand, facing Cleveland and KC while winning the weak AL East does not prepare you for LA. You don't know how good you really are, until you play someone really good. Well, NY just found out (queue the Gin Blossoms).

*One common evaluation method is the 5-tool analysis. The Dodgers are loaded with "toolsy" players who can beat you any number of ways on any given day - Kiki, Muncy, Ohtani, Freeman, Betts, Smith....good at so many things. The Yankees are loaded with older, lumbering 2-tool players who remind you of a church softball game where everybody is just trying to jack home runs for the faithful. The Yankees are not good on the bases, they aren't good in the field (watching Soto flail around in RF was painful and explains why SD moved him to LF to minimize the damage), and they are so awful on fundamentals. The Yankees are simply not built to compete with a team with a much deeper skill palette like LA.

*The whole Gerrit Cole not covering first criticism is just so off for me. There is the usual annoying little league windbaggery ("well, everybody who played little league knows that!!"), and then there is the reality that adults should occupy after moving on from their 8th birthday. There is no way in this universe - or in any alternative universe - that Gerrit Cole, with his level of fitness, is going to beat Mookie Betts to first to take a soft underhand throw for an out. That just ain't happenin' - sorry. Betts was hauling down that line...you know, the way a 5-tool player does. Unless Rizzo runs to the bag Cole doesn't matter to that play...except in little league I suppose.

*LA looks poised to reel off a few Championships. Their NL competitors outside of Atlanta seem older and fading a bit. The AL just feels so much weaker. Sure, that could change, but LA feels like they are ascending at the right time.

*Doesn't this answer the question, "should the Yankees pursue Soto?" Re-signing him for some absurd ransom to run it back with him in RF with likely lesser stats feels...well, misguided to say the least. As a Raiders coach once said, we lost with Khalil Mack, we can lose without him." There's something to that.

Off to the NFL. Thanks!

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