October 22, 2008 [LINK / comment]
Just like I did last year, here's a quickie "side-by-side" comparison between the home fields of the two contending teams, as a special World Series treat. Unlike last year, when there was a drastic contrast between Fenway Park and Coors Field, this year the two stadiums are surprisingly similar in terms of the shape of their playing fields. The fences in left field and right field are both perpendicular to the respective foul line, about the same distance from home plate, and the fence in center field is angled, slightly deeper on the left side. Citizens Bank Park has some sharp angles in deep left center, but Tropicana has some slight angles in that same area as well. The main difference between the two fields (besides the obvious grass vs. carpet) is in the area around the foul poles. As far as the stadium structure itself, there are hardly any similarities, of course: two decks vs. three, roof vs. open, etc. Roll your mouse over the thumbnail images to toggle back and forth between Tropicana Field and Citizens Bank Park:
I read somewhere that the oddsmakers give an edge to the Rays in this year's World Series, but the Phillies have a lot of advantages in the slugging department, plus a clear superiority in recent postseason experience. Cinderella teams like the Rays always have some crippling vulnerability, as was exposed in last week's miraculous comeback victory by the Red Sox. I figure the Rays ought to win it in six games.