Link'd Up, 9/30/09: Clairvoyant on C.C.

The Sports Illustrated cover jinx is well-documented, to the point where superstitious minds think it's as real as the Madden curse (et tu, Polamalu?)

Players and coaches have actually refused to pose for the cover of SI, fearing they'll lose their mojo once the magazine hits newsstands. Every once in a while, though, the jinx reverses itself, and the player featured goes on the fulfill the lofty expectations that usually sit upon those who make the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Enter C.C. Sabathia, the Yankees' brawny ace who graced SI's cover in early April for its baseball preview issue. The big man has exceeded all expectations, posting a 19-7 record and 3.21 ERA while anchoring a Yankee rotation that at times was among the best in baseball. Sabathia will start Game 1 of the ALDS, most likely on Wednesday, and he gives the Yankees an immediate advantage (even if his counterpart is Tigers' flamethrower Justin Verlander).

Kudos to C.C. for breaking the cover jinx. Oh, and the corresponding article from S.L. Price ain't bad either. If you want to really understand the rock of the Bombers' starting pitching, this is a must read.