LA Dodgers looking to win World Series
Are the Dodgers really that good?
Since Manny Ramirez came back from his suspension, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been on a roll this 2009 MLB baseball season.
You read it, the Los Angeles Dodgers look like the team to come out and represent the National League in the World Series. The Dodgers lead the pack in the NL West. However, slugger Manny Ramirez is in a downward spiral and he appears to be bringing the Dodgers down with him.
On their fifth attempt to clinch the National League West, the Dodgers fell 4-3 to the second-place Colorado Rockies as Manny Ramirez struck out in each of his four trips to 
the plate. The Dodgers may have gotten some sort of momentum since Ramirez came back from the suspension but with Ramirez himself struggling, I’m not sure how long can the rest of the Dodgers keep themselves afloat.
Last year, after acquiring Ramirez, the Dodgers looked like a completely different team. Before trading for him, they were 54-54. In the Dodger blue, Manny hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games. Truth be told, they have been led by outfielders not named Manny in Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, along with first baseman James Loney, and young pitchers like Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw.
It’ll be interesting to see how everything unfolds around the Dodgers.
One team looking to challenge the Dodgers are the Colorado Rockies. Under new manager Jim Tracy, the Rockies appear to be a completely different team. They don’t have any superstar pitchers, but Jason Marquis has 15 wins, Ubaldo Jimenez has 14 along with an ERA of 3.47, and Jorge De La Rosa has 15 in addition to 181 strikeouts.
They have a pretty good offense too.
Clint Barmes has 23 homers, Todd Helton has a .317 average and 81 RBI, Troy Tulowitzki has 30 homers, and Ian Stewart, their version of Ben Zobrist, has 25 homers. They also have a talented outfield with Brad Hawpe (20 HR, .283 AVG) and Seth Smith (.298 AVG, 15 HR). Expect these guys to wreak havoc come playoff time.
Another team looking to challenge the Dodgers are the Philadelphia Phillies. They have been pretty consistent all year long. They have a dynamic offense, featuring Ryan Howard (42 HR, 135 RBI), Chase Utley (31 HR, 91 RBI), Raul Ibanez (33 HR, 89 RBI), and Jayson Werth (34 HR, 93 RBI). Pitching-wise, they get most of their help from youngster J.A. Happ and the newly-acquired Cliff Lee, who is 7-3 since arriving in Philadelphia.
We also have the St. Louis Cardinals, a team many believe to be the sleeper pick to go to the World Series. Though they have been struggling as of late, they have two Cy Young candidates in Chris Carpenter (16-4, 2.30 ERA) and Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.58 ERA). If we talk about offense, they have Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, who has been on fire since getting traded to St. Louis, Yadier Molina, and Ryan Ludwick. They are a team who nobody realizes that they have what it takes to shock the rest of us.
Let’s see if they can.
Which team will win the 2009 MLB World Series? SPORTSBETTING.COM has the odds.
Boston Red Sox 9/2
New York Yankees 8/5
Want more odds? Visit SPORTSBETTING.COM for more baseball betting odds. Want to watch baseball live? Get MLB tickets online now.
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