Ladies and gentlemen, your 2010 World Series combatants—the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants.
Fox television executives may not love it, and there are loads of disgruntled Yankee and Phillie fans grumbling about the legitimacy of this version of the Fall Classic. But this World Series promises to be a thrilling affair.
The defending champions of each league were sent packing, each bitterly disappointed that their dreams of a series rematch would never be realized. Last year’s World Series entrants both swept their divisional series foes, only to run into hungry squads that refused to be intimidated by the New York and Philly postseason pedigrees.
Texas has been generally regarded as a potent offensive juggernaut, but as it proved in its thorough dismantling of the New York Yankees, the Rangers can certainly pitch with the best of them. Midseason arrival Cliff Lee and his stellar postseason resume lead the way. But C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter form a diverse rotation capable of silencing the bats of the opposition, even the vaunted Yankee lineup.
San Francisco on the other hand, may have surprised its opposition with its offensive output, as the Giants earned their way to the World Series primarily on the strength of their pitching and, of course, their beards. Led by two-time defending Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, the Giants boast a thrilling, young starting staff that should have Bay Area fans excited about the next several years.
With Game 1 rapidly approaching on Wednesday, let’s take a look at the starting pitching rotations for each team. Since Texas hasn’t quite decided in which order it will trot out its starters and which hurler will occupy the fourth slot, we’ll profile the pitchers in contention for those roles.