Major League Baseball

Old buddies Sabathia, Lee are rivals for now

Published Oct. 28, 2009 7:40 p.m. ET

Bob Klapisch

Are you chasing down drama, irresistible back-stories, intrigue and old-fashioned bragging rights? Welcome to October's epicenter: Game 1 of the World Series, which pits two former teammates in a pitching war for the ages.

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CC Sabathia: The Yankees' ace, the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner, 3-0 in the postseason this year and the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS.

Cliff Lee: The Phillies' ace, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner with an 0.74 ERA this postseason.

Both are lefties, both have killer stuff, both figure to face each other three times in this Series — and each holds the key to a near-unanswerable question:

Who has the advantage in a World Series that's almost too close to call?

Sabathia and Lee know this standoff is too rich for words, which is why they've been texting each other all week about everything BUT the World Series. Their friendship goes back all the way to 2002, when Lee was first promoted by the Indians and Sabathia, although two years younger than Lee, was already in his second full season in Cleveland.

They soon discovered they had much in common, notably their laid-back demeanors. That composure, so obvious today, was nurtured at a time when Sabathia and Lee were still getting an education about American League hitters and, more importantly, themselves.

"I think we made each other better," Lee told reporters on Tuesday. "We helped each other out as far as how we thought we should approach certain teams and just what's the best frame of mind to have on the mound and stuff. I honestly think we both helped each other out along the way and both became better from the relationship that we developed."

The two remained close even after Sabathia was traded to the Brewers last summer and then signed his monster seven-year, $161 million contract with the Yankees. They were officially rivals as of Opening Day and wouldn't you know, Sabathia and Lee faced each other in the first-ever game in the new Yankee Stadium.

Same as it ever was for the two great lefties: Sabathia limited the Indians to just one run in 5.2 innings, while Lee similarly held the Bombers in check, allowing just one run in six innings. Afterward, the two headed out to Sabathia's home in Alpine, N.J., to renew the friendship over dinner.

Then, just as now, Lee and Sabathia wouldn't go near the pitching-war they'd just waged. Instead, the conversation circled around safer, more neutral topics like family.

"We never talk about baseball," Sabathia said. "It's weird, that's just something that doesn't come up. We'll say 'good job' and things like that, but it's just not sitting down talking about pitches and things like that. It's nothing like that. He just came over to the house. My wife cooked, and he came over and hung out. That's just how we are."

The dynamic of their friendship might not ever change, but their surroundings will become louder and more intense than ever before. If Sabathia and Lee thought they were experiencing an adrenaline rush back in April, they're in for system-shock in Game 1.

That's because the Yankees and Phillies are about to engage in the most compelling World Series of the decade. The Bombers have no illusion about what's coming: They know the Phillies are the National League's most talented NL champions since the 1996 Braves.