Tony’s prediction for the 2008 World Series is much more entertaining than mine. He suspects that Brad Lidge implodes (again), costing Philadelphia game seven and the series causing himself to melt down for another two years of mediocre pitching.

The Phillies will be competitive enough to get their fans hopes up (again) only to instead crush them to the point where the debauchery in the stands explodes into 374 fights.

I’d be surprised if it gets quite that raucus, though I guess Philadelphia Eagles did have a jail in the basement of Veteran’s Stadium to house any fans that got more violent than booing Santa Claus.

But I do think the Tampa Bay Rays have all the momentum in the world heading into the World Series. A fantastic pitching performance by Matt Garza kept the Boston Red Sox from repeating history and staging an improbable but fantastic comeback. Knocking off the defending world champions proves just how for real the Rays are. And the Phillies will have been off for nearly a week since disposing of the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

The layoff allowed the Fightin’ Phillies to set their pitching rotations the way they like but the rests have often times proved more detriment than help to World Series combatants.

I like the Rays pitching rotation depth slightly more than I like Philly’s and I’ve become a huge fan of the mix of offensive weapons the Rays possess.

Rays in five, maybe six.