Being a lefty has always had a connotation of uniqueness to it.  After all, it is estimated that only seven percent of the population is blessed with this dexterous domination.  Hand orientation is determined in vitro, evident as early as the first time the fetus snuggles his preferred thumb or finger on his face or mouth.  Heads of corporations and presidents of the United States who are lefties far exceed their proportional 7% of the population leading many to tout the brilliance associated with left-handed people.  However, in ancient times and still with verbal expressions in some cultures today, left-handedness is associated with various negative connotations such as the devil, clumsiness, and insults. Such is NOT the case in baseball where lefties are recruited, prized, and paid more than their counterparts for equal talent because of their rarity.  Lefties thrive at this sport because they are right brain dominant, and therefore, more proficient in visual-spatial skills. 
 
It's that time of October when even the non-sports fans will gather tonight with friends in living rooms all across the United States to savor the 2009 World Series.  This is Major League Baseball's final best of seven games spectacular each year, otherwise known as the Autumn Classic.  And while baseball is America's pasttime, the Japanese, Koreans, Dominicans, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans, and Panamanians among others will be watching with fervor as well, as their countrymen are represented on many major league teams.  It is the heady culmination of the regular baseball season, division championships, and league championship series where the National League Champion Phildelphia Phillies will take on the American League Champion New York Yankees.
 
Game one of the 2009 World Series will take place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY tonight which is celebrating its inaugural year in use.  What all the fans will witness in this game are two of the most proficient lefty major league pitchers taking the mound. In this series opener, CC Sabathia will be the starting pitcher for the Yanks. Cliff Lee will be representing the Phillies.  Both of these players grew up in the major leagues as part of the Cleveland Indians roster.  Sabathia joined the Tribe in 2001 and continued there until the end of the 2008 season when he became a free agent and landed an unprecedented 7 year $161 million contract with the Yankees.  Lee honed his skills in Cleveland when he came up to the big leagues in 2002 and remained with the Tribe until he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Ben Francisco in a move best described as a payroll dump by Cleveland organization on July 29, 2009 in the middle of this year's season.  Lee is in his final year of a 3 year $14 million contract, however, the Phillies have a club option on him for 2010 at a mere $8 million plus another potential $1 million in incentives.  Ironically, Charlie Manuel, the current manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, was the Manager of the Cleveland Indians when both of these talented pitchers joined the Indians organization.  Just how good are they?  Well, the 6'7" 290 pound, native Californian, CC Sabathia, was named the 2007 American League Cy Young Award Winner while he played for Cleveland, and the 6' 3" 190 pound, native of Arkansas, Cliff Lee, won same honor in 2008 while he played for Cleveland.  So, let's give kudos to Cleveland for at least raising them up, even if they did ship them out. 
 
The Yankees have 103 wins and 59 losses from the regular season.  CC Sabathia pitched approximately every fifth game during the season and finished the year with a regular season pitching record of 19 wins and 8 losses and a 3.37 ERA.  He has become particularly spectacular post-season where he pitched in 3 games, all of which he won and charted a mere 1.19 ERA.  He was named MVP of the ALCS and rightfully so because he was extraordinarily dominant.  CC is a big boy who throws rockets to the plate.  Then, there are these other guys whom you may have heard mentioned here and there named A-Rod, Jeter, Cano, Posada, Texeira, along with Swisher, Damon and Cabrera who fill out the powerful Yankee starting roster.  The bullpen may be deemed a weakness, but Yankee's 45 year old closer extraordinaire, Mariano Rivera is worth his Panamanian weight in gold.  Former major league catcher, Joe Girardi, will be at the helm of this club.  Each other man on the expanded roster of both teams will have his chance at playtime, a champagne shower, and a coveted Championship ring as well. 
 
The Phillies sport 93 wins and 69 losses from the regular season.  Cliff Lee's record is a mixture of his time with the Indians organization prior to his end of July trade.  While there, he generally pitched quite well but oftentimes simply didn't have run support.  He had 14 wins and 13 losses and a 3.22 ERA.  In the post season he rung up 2 wins and 0 losses with an incredible .74 ERA.  Lee works efficiently with good placement, taking very little time between pitches, working innings as efficiently as he can.  And you perhaps recall some of the starting lineup of the 2008 World Champion Phillies such as Howard, Utley, Feliz, Ruiz, Ibanez, Werth, and Victorino (the Hawaiian baseball anomaly) who will be joining him on the field again tonight.  The Phillies too have had bullpen issues this year, including with their closer who was so quintessential in last year's World Series, Brad Lidge.  Rounding out the Phillies roster is a whole host of talented players. 
 
Americans who don't reside in Pennsylvania or New York are hoping for an exciting series lasting for all 7 games.  The first two will be played in the Bronx, the next three are slated for Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and if necessary, any of the final two back in New York again.  The residents of New York and Philadelphia have other agendas on their minds.  But fans around the world are all unanimously looking forward to witnessing long balls, stealthy stealing, dramatic catches, slides, runs scored, pinch running, bases loaded, their favorite team winning, and no snow/rain/other inclemental weather.  And, of course, we all look forward to seeing the lefties who will be the center of attraction in game one tonight.

Kimberly Wilcox is an ambidextrous lefty who throws righty, is a switch hitter and avid baseball fan. Kimberly is currently freelance writing about financial politics, as well as Healthcare policy, specifically, Chemical Injury and its medical & lifestyle consequences.  She is a lifestyle coach to others with chemical injury, chronic fatigue, autism, Gulf War Syndrome & Fibromyalgia, as well as to professional athletes desiring peak performance without use of illegal PED's.  She is an expert on Green Living and her new book will soon be published about the Green Life that she has been forced to live for the last decade.