NEW YORK -- So it comes down to the New York Yankees against the Florida Marlins, The Evil Empire against the Guppies.
Before the baseball season begins, every prognosticator in the universe sits down and writes ``New York Yankees.'' That's one team easy to predict for a World Series appearance.
And for the fifth time in six years, they were right.
The difficult part is determining an opponent from the 16 National League teams, and everybody who predicted the Florida Marlins, please stand up.
Everybody should have remained seated, heads down, arms in laps.
Even when the Marlins came from nowhere to win the National League wild card, the baseball world figured the San Francisco Giants would make short work of them in the National League Division Series.
Wrong. The Marlins lost the first game, then won three straight.
Then they were heavy underdogs who figured to lose the National League Championship Series to the Chicago Cubs.
Wrong. The Marlins lost three of the first four, then won the final three, the last two in Wrigley Field.
So here they are in the World Series, and they have the Yankees right where they want them -- heavily favored.
``Hey, we're just stupid enough to believe we can win this thing,'' said Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett after shutting out the Cubs in Game 5, then pitching four innings of one-run, one-hit relief in Game 7.
The Marlins love the Guppies posture. Nobody believes but them.
And you won't find 72-year-old Marlins manager Jack McKeon firing darts at The Evil Empire, called that early this season by Boston executive Larry Lucchino.
``The Yankees have the money and they go out and get players,'' said McKeon. ``They always put a good ballclub out there, do what it takes. George Steinbrenner is a winner and you have to give him credit. He does what it takes.''
Do the Marlins have what it takes?
Yes. It's the best baseball team nobody heard of, until McKeon was named manager on May 11 when the Guppies were 16-22 and in fourth place.
``The Cubs have the best pitching in the game, but ours is good,'' said McKeon. ``That's one reason I took this job. I love young players. And this goes to show you what can happen if you get into the playoffs.''
To help all that young pitching, the Marlins signed free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez in January. And during the NLCS he not only guided the staff through treacherous waters, he drove in an NLCS-record 10 runs and was MVP.
With a twinkle in his eye, McKeon said, ``Even the President (George W. Bush) picked the Cubs to beat us, even though he used to be president of the Texas Rangers when Rodriguez was there.''
Rodriguez was asked to lay down a sacrifice bunt against San Francisco in the NLDS. He didn't like it. Big men don't bunt. But he bunted. And he did it successfully.
It's a tribute to McKeon.
``This gentleman (McKeon) does a lot of good things for us,'' Rodriguez said. ``He gives us a lot of good examples. I respect him the same way my teammates respect him.''
The Marlins are in the World Series for the second time as a wild card. They won it in 1997, and if they do it again this year they will have won two World Series without ever winning a division championship.
``Everything fell into place,'' McKeon said.
