Please, no Dodgers-Yankees ...

Fox Sports must be salivating at the prospect of a Yankees-Dodgers series, with the two biggest media markets and the prospect of Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez (who grew up in Manhattan) renewing acquaintances with the Yankees, etc.

On the flip side, I can imagine the groans emanating from New York if the Phillies and Angels emerge as their respective league champions. Here's a brief synopsis on the two series:

Yankees-Angels: The most crucial element for the Angels is their starting pitching. Mike Scioscia is going with ace John Lackey in Game 1 and left-hander Joe Saunders in Game 2 — Saunders is a much better fit to pitch in Yankee Stadium than righty Jered Weaver, whose fly-ball tendencies make him a risk against New York's lefty power.

The story of the Angels' season has been their offense, which regularly features eight hitters that hit .287 or better — the lone holdout is underrated catcher Mike Napoli, who hit .272 with 20 home runs. The biggest keys will be whether Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu can get on base for guys like Torii Hunter (90 RBI in only 119 games) and Kendry Morales, who drove in 108 runs this season in a surprisingly fine season.

The Yankees, however, seem to have too much firepower. Except when Jose Molina is in the lineup as A.J. Burnett's preferred catcher, New York doesn't have a hole in the lineup.

And New York has a big edge in the bullpen, with Joba Chamberlain potentially joining Phil Hughes as deluxe setup men for Mariano Rivera, still the game's best closer.

Pick: Yankees in six.

Dodgers-Phillies: If I was a Phillies fan, I would much rather have faced St. Louis. Why? The Dodgers have the lefty pitching that could neutralize Philly first baseman Ryan Howard, who is as good a hitter in the game against right-handed pitching, but southpaws tie him up in knots.

Notice that Howard had the big hit, a two-run double, in the Phillies' ninth-inning rally against Colorado in the series-deciding game. Colorado, stuck in the "closer mentality," left righty Huston Street in to face him with two runners on, even with reliable lefty Joe Beimel warmed up in the bullpen.

It also says something about Fox's coverage that none of the game announcers, and none of their post-game analysis, included an iota of discussion of the subject.

Los Angeles has two lefties in the rotation (young stud Clayton Kershaw and revived Randy Wolf) and two tough lefties in the pen in hard-throwing Hong-Chih Kuo and George Sherrill, quietly acquired from Baltimore at the trading deadline.

For much of the season, Philly hit lefties Chase Utley, Howard and Raul Ibanez in the 3-4-5 spots in the lineup, but Charlie Manuel has recently (and smartly) put Jayson Werth, who tattooes lefties, in the fifth spot above Ibanez.

This has the makings of a dynamite series. The pick here: Dodgers in seven.

And if I'm right, Fox gets their wish. I'm almost hoping I'm wrong somewhere.