1 ±-8B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 9, 1999 World Series not too far off for zany prognostication attempts Newsday jIt's not too early to start dreaming about potential World Series matchups. Some real doozies are still possible. N4ew York-New York would be hard to trump, but several other pairings could rank right up there in terms of intrigue ' and star power. One thing we would like to avoid is a rematch of a recent Series it's too much like a TV rerun. Which means we'd prefer not to see Yankees- Braves, Indians-Braves or even Blue Javs-Braves. Nothing against the Braves, who have an excellent chance to make it with their resolve, their guts ""°and their pitching. It's just that we'd like to see something different. Here's our favorite eight, the r rmatchups we'd most like to see (in dApscending order): 8. Mots-Ran-zers. This would be the Bobby V special, and because everyone who knows Mets manager/lightning "rod Bobby Valentine loves him or hates him, this would be a pip. The contro- veisial Valentine, the Rangers' manager from 1985-92, suffered the indignity of being booed by fans last winter at the Baseball Writers Dinner with Rangers bigwigs on hand to honor MVP Juan -Gonzalez. This could easily make up for that. Edge: Mets.. t 7. Diamondbacks-Rangers. We'd love to see Randy Johnson face tie Rangers' lineup, as good as any in base- ball. Rafael Palmeiro has played against everybody over the years, except ohnson. One year, he played 160 games, all except the two against the -Unit. But there's no opting out in the .World Series. We like any matchup of first-time Series qualifiers, and we'd 'lke to stay warm, too. ..Edge: D-backs. 6. Yankees-Diamondbacks. Oh, what a mess the winter of 1995-96 was. ---Watching George Steinbrenner and ---Bck Showalter do that tango of theirs was something to behold. The highlight y r. h came xvhen Steinbrenner, after firing Showalter and hiring Joe Torre as man- ager, responded to bad press by offering, Showalter his job back. By that point, Showalter knew how deep Arizona's pockets were, and the diminutive skip- per had to be tired of hearing Steinbrenner refer to him as 'that Buck Showalter and his little family." Edge: Yankees. 5. Mets-Indians. This could be a slugfest. The Mets patterned their team after the Indians: big bats and big bullpen. Unfortunately, the starters have to pitch first. The double-play combina- tions, two of the best ever, also will draw attention. Still, DPs will not be the norm here. The two lineups, among baseball's best, could make for some long nights. Edge: Indians. 4. Astros-Rangers. The two losers in the Roger Clemens sweepstakes (or is it winners?) would be a blast. The Astros have a lot to overcome to get there, with all of their injuries, but they can't be underestimated. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell don't need much help, but some would be appreciated. It would be nice to see those two - as well as Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez and Palmeiro -- make it. Things are bigger in Texas, and this one would be gigan- tic. Edge: Rangers. 3. Indians-Reds. The Reds were annoyed when the Indians stole some of their mid-state fans with the opening of Jacobs Field. The great folks of Columbus started going east in droves. Here's a chance to show Ohio there are two fine baseball teams in the state. The rivalry has been enhanced by some big trades between the teams in recent years - some Indians people were aggravated when Reds G.M. Jim Bowden declared that getting Sean Casey from Cleveland for Dave Burba would go down as "the greatest trade in Reds history." Hmmm ... a potential batting champion making close to the minimum salary for a No. 3 pitcher? Looks like he was correct. The only drawback to this delicious matchup is the great potential for political incor- rectness, what with Chief Wahoo and Marge Schott together in the house. Edge: Chief Wahoo. 2. Yankees-Mets. Big surprise, New York-New York finishes second in our derby. The city that never sleeps would go nuts. The rest of the country will enjoy watching ... from a distance. The first Subway Series since 1956 would have its advantages. For one, the travel for the players wouldn't be bad, eight miles from Flushing to the Bronx. For another, there would be passion. Feelings run deep in a showdown that would take on a David vs. Goliath theme. There's also plenty of potential for that great New York tradition: the argument. Who's better, Derek Jeter or Mike Piazza (this one already is start- ing on the airwaves) Who'll be in the center of more controversy, Valentine or Steinbrenner? These cross-city games seem to bring out the worst in the Boss, so we'll go with the favorite there. Edge: Yankees. 1. A's-Reds. Bud Selig's argument about small markets having zero chance goes down the tubes here. The Reds' payroll of S35 million is well below the supposed cutoff for honest- to-goodness contenders (S45 to S50 million), and Oakland's S22 million payroll is downright microscopic. The odds of the A's and Reds aren't nearly as long now as when we all started, but they're still fairly long. At this point, there's still a greater chance of neither team reaching the playoffs than both making it to the World Series. Still, it's not impossible. If they do overcome the odds, this one would be fun. We're not counting the rerun factor because all of the players have changed since 1990. Eat your hearts out, Dodgers and Orioles. Edge: Reds. 0 9 AP oto While the Braves are a perennial favorite to reach the World Series, seeing the Braves has grown tiresome for many fans w are hoping for fresh blood from the National league pennant winner. PICK UP A . 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