Baseball Championships

In New York, this would be heresy: The playoffs without the Yankees. "I think the logo doesn't allow that," Larry Bowa said. Bowa coached for the Yankees last season, then followed Manager Joe Torre to the Dodgers. Torre led the Yankees into October every year he managed there -- 12 in all -- and he has a pretty good idea of how New York would react if the Yankees missed the playoffs. "It's going to be horrible if the Red Sox make it," Torre said.

The Red Sox have won nine straight playoff games against the Angels dating to 1986. The Angels were 8-1 against the Red Sox this season. Which is more relevant in the division series? Here's a look at the issues and matchups when the Angels play the Red Sox: Numbers game The Angels had the best record (100-62) this season, but that lofty status hasn't meant much to teams in the past.

The combination of his success against Boston left-hander Jon Lester and a strong September earned Gary Matthews Jr., whose season was derailed by a knee injury, the start in right field for the Angels tonight against the Red Sox. Matthews, who lost his starting job to Juan Rivera just before the All-Star break, has three hits in six at-bats in his career against Lester, including a pair of home runs in Fenway Park on April 23. The switch-hitter also hit .

STATS Corner The numbers may tell the story when the Dodgers and Cubs meet in the best-of-five-game National League division playoff series beginning this afternoon at Wrigley Field. Here are some facts and figures about the two clubs that might prove pivotal, provided by STATS LLC: Ramirez is a road warrior Manny Ramirez has hit 14 postseason home runs on the road, more than anyone else in baseball history. Ramirez's 29 runs batted in in playoff road games rank third all-time. Ramirez's .

CHICAGO -- Rafael Furcal made it back. Furcal will be starting at shortstop and batting first when the Dodgers open their National League division series against the Chicago Cubs today at Wrigley Field, Manager Joe Torre said. Behind Furcal, in order, will be catcher Russell Martin, left fielder Manny Ramirez, right fielder Andre Ethier, first baseman James Loney, center fielder Matt Kemp, second baseman Blake DeWitt, third baseman Casey Blake and starter Derek Lowe.

A year ago, Turner Sports dived into postseason baseball without so much as warming up in the bullpen. "It was like trying to start a car in winter," said TBS producer Tim Kiely. It wasn't as if the company didn't know its way around a diamond. TBS, after all, had been doing Atlanta Braves games for 30 years. But still, for a general public used to dealing with the broadcast networks and ESPN in the postseason, it was disconcerting.

By their own admission, the Boston Red Sox were a confused and distracted team four months into the regular season. Then on the final day of July they dealt their main distraction, outfielder Manny Ramirez, to the Dodgers, getting Jason Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates in return in a three-team trade. Everybody knows what that trade meant to the Dodgers, who rallied behind Ramirez to win the National League West.

The Angels didn't have October nemesis Manny Ramirez, who hit .381 with three home runs and 11 runs batted in against them in six playoff games, to contend with Wednesday night, and they still couldn't keep the Boston Red Sox at Bay.

CHICAGO -- It's 52 degrees and getting colder at Wrigley Field as Manny Ramirez, waiting for the next Cubs hitter, shoves his right hand into his back pocket to keep warm. Suddenly a man in the bleachers behind the Dodgers' left fielder stands up, cups his hands around his mouth and yells, "Hey Manny! Take your hand out of your pocket! Get ready to run!" Ramirez either doesn't hear him, or pretends he doesn't hear him, but the Chicago fans are just getting warmed up.

Kosuke Fukudome may get a second chance to prove himself in the postseason, because Cubs Manager Lou Piniella said before Game 1 that he would like to start Fukudome in every game of the National League division series. "I'd like to stay just the way we are," Piniella said. "Fukudome is very capable of having a nice postseason, so let's see. With the wind blowing and everything else, we went with good defense in the outfield."