Deja vu

Today was eerily similar to Oct. 25, 2008, another Saturday in which a Phillies lefty, who used to be a sure thing but whose recent performance was concerning the fan base, was set to start Game 3 of a World Series in Philadelphia. Last year it was Jamie Moyer's gutsy performance. This year, it's Cole Hamels time to win back the doubters.

Personally, it was a similar day with lots of things to get done before game time. While running to a store today, I thought of last year's Game 3 because I was in the same store on that day.

Anyway, today we finished everything we had to do with time to spare before the game so we decided to use our Cold Stone coupon I've been saving for some pumpkin ice cream. The line wasn't too long, but it took forever as people took samples and got quarts upon quarts of ice cream. I don't think they got the concept of a specialty ice cream store.

Finally, when our turn arrived, the guy looks at Christine's jersey and asks what time the game starts.

"Twenty minutes," she said.

"OK, I'll hurry," he said. "Do you want it to go?"

Usually, we eat Cold Stone in the car, but we decided to drive home because we were cutting it close, but as soon as I turned on the car, Jim Jackson said the tarp was on the field. No need to go home before eating ice cream.

When we pulled up to the house, I said we should have just stayed in and watched Jamie Moyer's World Series game on DVD. Turns out, MLB Network had it on, so we watched a couple innings anyway while waiting for tonight's game to start.

Halloween observations: A little girl at Wawa complimented Christine's Phillies shirt. {I told her I liked her mermaid costume.} ... A guy outside the store said he was counting how many Phillies shirts he saw - he didn't give us a count. ... First trick-or-treater of the year (out of a whopping six we got all day) wore a Cole Hamels shirt. Very disappointing Halloween.

Game update: I'm not going to make the end of this one because it's a quasi work night for me. I'm sure I'll sense vibes from Christine whether the Phillies win.

So far, the Phillies lead 3-0 in the 4th, and Christine and I can't decide whether she has her psychic vibe going on.

In the 2nd, they were talking about a promotion in which $1 million would be donated to cancer research if a home run struck a sign in the outfield.

"Ryan Howard's going to cure cancer," I said.

"No, Jayson Werth is," Christine said.

Next pitch, J-Dub hits one to left about 20 feet from the sign.

She wants credit for calling that one; I disagree because she would have said that no matter who was up at the time of the discussion.

I said I would post the conversation on the blog and let SoxandPhils followers decide. She said to wait a minute because there would be more to write about. Sure enough, the Phillies added two more runs in the inning.

So far, so good for King Cole. He looked really good hitting Alex Rodriguez in the 2nd inning.

Look back at 2008: I suck. Yesterday, I forgot to remember that Phils win! Phils win! Phils win! I also forgot to remember our recap of what will probably be the one and only World Series clincher we'll ever attend. Yes, Christine, it really did happen. And, on Halloween, there was a parade, but we still had some outtakes from Game 5 to post.

On Halloween Eve

'Twas the night before Halloween and all through the park,
not a creature was stirring, the ballyard was dark.

After two games, the series was a knot,
Cliff Lee got a win, Pedro did not.

After a brilliant Game 1, we got too high,
But then A.J. took our heads right out of the sky.

Tomorrow's a new day, time for Hamels to shine,
Blanton will follow, then it's Cliff Lee - he's so fine.

The series may be tighter than a bunch of clamps,
But the Phillies will pull through like champs.

Sorry, I don't know what got into me. Anyway, it's Halloween Eve and there's not much happening as the World Series takes a break to travel from New York to Philly. They announced the Game 4 starters: Chad Gaudin and Joe Blanton.

I thought I'd indulge myself and share the stories of my two baseball-themed Halloween costumes from my childhood.

In 3rd grade, before I wised up to the evils in the world, I was still a semi-Yankees fan, so I went as my favorite player, Dave Winfield. I wore my Winfield T-shirt - it was a cheap giveaway from the stadium. I forget who the sponsor was, but I distinctly remember the No. 31 was way too small.

I didn't understand racism and couldn't understand why my mom wouldn't let me paint my face black. I just wanted to look like my favorite player. I settled for painting on a mustache.

A couple years later, I wanted something a little more creative, so my mom and I came up with the idea of a baseball card. Lots of people go as playing cards, but I never saw a baseball card. We went to a sporting goods store, but they had a weak selection of posters: Keith Hernandez, Eric Davis and someone else, possibly Dale Murphy.

I went with Eric the Red and spent the week painstakingly tracing the stats from his 1987 Topps baseball card for the back of my costume. It was a great costume; unfortunately, I don't think we have any pictures. I kept it hanging in my closet for quite a few years. I don't remember when I finally got rid of it.

If my Halloween tale didn't suffice, check out Doug Glanville's recent op-ed, in which he discusses trick-or-treating as a Phillie in North Jersey. It's a great piece and a rare occasion in which a player shows the "fan" side of himself. We here at SoxandPhils really like Glanville.

Happy Halloween - if a future Phillie shows up at your door, give him or her an extra treat.

[Photo credit: Cincinnati Reds Cards]

It's Cliff Lee's world, we're just living in it

I used a similar title after Game 1 of last year's World Series about Cole Hamels, who has now officially been supplanted as the Phillies ace by Clifton Phifer Lee.

Lee's great night (complete game, 10 strikeouts) against the Yankees has been well-documented. It was a thing of beauty - especially against the Yankees, whose fans were surely taking the defending champs lightly.

Last year, we enjoyed watching Cole dominate the playoffs as Josh Beckett did the year before. Now, it's Cliff Lee's time. Hopefully, he can repeat either Beckett's World Series (he was used just once as the Red Sox swept) or Hamels (started Games 1 and 5 in the 4-1 win series win).

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Last night is over. Today is a new day and it's time to see whether Pedro Martinez (who used to own the universe) can follow up yesterday's rambling, but amusing, press conference with a virtuoso performance like he had against the Dodgers in the NLCS.

As a Red Sox fan, I've enjoyed many Pedro starts in which his opponents had no chance - it was just a matter of how few hits and many strikeouts he would get.

But also as a Red Sox fan, I've sat through some of the later-year Pedro starts where you wondered if he would last through three innings.

Through five, it's been closer to the former Pedro than the latter Pedro. He's allowed one run, a solo home run to Mark Teixeira, on three hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

Unfortunately, A.J. Burnett, who I thought would be even more of a crapshoot than Pedro, is matching him. In the middle of the 6th, it's tied 1-1.

Look back at 2008: Christine and I took a look back at our experience during the first half of Game 5 as we headed back to watch the finale. I'd tell you how it turns out, but that's not posted until tomorrow's look back.

[Photo credit: US Presswire]

An epic battle begins

When I initially considered the PhilsandYanks World Series, my first thought was that it pitted the team of last century against an early contender for the team of this century.

But I might have been ahead of myself - Jayson Stark took a more measured look at the epic matchup:

... the winner of this World Series -- whether it's the Yankees or the Phillies -- will have a legitimate case that it is the Team of the Decade.

The winner, regardless of who it is, is going to have two titles to show for itself in the '00s. And that will tie that team with the Red Sox, who also won twice -- while obliterating curses, inspiring approximately 1.8 zillion New England poets and altering baseball life as we used to know it in the process.

(And you thought I'd have trouble working the Red Sox into a Game 1 post.)

Anyway, Stark concluded that if the Phillies win, the Red Sox get the title, but if the Empire wins, they get it. Have I mentioned yet that the fate of the free world depends on the Phillies?

I'll keep repeating it until Tony Massarotti gets the message. I know I've mellowed in my fandom since the Red Sox have won World Series(s), but my blood still boils at the sight of the pinstripes (black ones, not red ones). I don't need to win every time - just against the Yankees. I will never, like this joker, root for the Yankees in a World Series. (The only time it is acceptable to root for the Empire is if they're out of the playoff picture and playing a team we're competing with for a playoff slot.)

Today's game: The players were introduced to strains of Star Wars. The Yankees must really be oblivious to how they are perceived because they played Empire music for the Phillies and Rebel music for their own. Idiots.

After the pregame festivities, the Phillies loaded the bases against CC Sabathia in the first but couldn't capitalize. Cliff Lee looks good in the early going. The Phillies struck first with a solo home run by Chase Utley in the 3rd. The Phillies are currently up 1-0 in the 5th.

Look back at 2008: Holding pattern; we had no idea when Game 5 would resume.

Bartender, give me a shot of that '09 vintage

Last year, on World Series Eve, I tried to explain how I felt. I'm not sure that I was able to capture the uniqueness of the moment, but here I am again. Trying again. Because the Phillies are in the World Series again! Woo-hoo!! Re-read that: The Phillies are in the World Series for the second year in a row.

As awesome as the playoffs and championship were last year, there was still a little part of me that was sad while it was happening. I knew there was only one time that I could experience my team breaking the championship drought and all of the frenzy that goes with it.

And the fact that I was at the game(s) where they actually won? Forget it. Those feelings could never be repeated.

(Speaking of, in today's look back at 2008, this was the first half of Game 5 of the World Series. No bubbly that night, just lots and lots of water.)

Ever since the Red Sox won again in 2007, Greg has explained that it just didn't seem quite as good the second time around. I could understand that, but for me, this year has been just as good, only in a completely different way from 2008.

The Phillies are the World F-in Champions. They saved us from having to hear about teams from 1980 and 1993. No players need to be vindicated. No failures, curses or other self-pitying stories need to be dredged up. This time, it's all about defending what belongs to them. Who cares that they're playing the Yankees? That team is just one last minor distraction that needs to be taken care of before the trophy can be paraded down Broad Street next week.

(And Greg, take a look at that picture up top. Remember that I'd like to expand my collection. It's the easiest present you can shop for this Christmas.)

Jimmy Rollins made his prediction. Phillies, could be six games, probably five. The man's been pretty accurate in the past. I like what he has to say. And now, for my last prediction of 2009:

Phillies vs. Yankees: Phillies, no doubt.

[Agreed.]

The fate of the free world depends on the Phillies

I've quite enjoyed the 2001 through 2008 baseball seasons. Aside from three SoxandPhils World Championships, the era marked the end of the drug- and money-tainted Yankees dynasty. {I'm not so sure you should be throwing around team drug accusations, Greg, but continue.}

I remember the end vividly. Christine and I were watching Shrek in my apartment. I didn't want to watch the game, figuring the Yankees were going to win. She convinced me to turn on the 9th inning, just in time to see Mariano Rivera blow it. There would be different Yankee killers every year - Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, CC Sabathia, to name a few - but the results were the same.

The Yankees, once fueled by mystique and aura, were now nothing but chokers.

This year, it appears as if M&A have returned. But the Phillies have their own mojo, and it will be up to them to make sure the Yankees championship drought continues. I believe they are up to the mission. The fate of the free world depends on it.

Meanwhile, here's the SoxandPhils primer on the PhilsandYanks World Series.

A year ago, I compiled a roster of players who appeared for both the Rays and Phillies. The Rays had just completed their 11th season and didn't have much of a pool of players, so I had guys playing out of position and couldn't fill out a bench.

The Yankees have a slightly longer history book, so I had a deeper roster to work with, but there were surprisingly not too many clear-cut examples. Here's a quick roster I compiled with help from baseball-reference.com. I didn't exhaustively research it, so I'm sure you'll be able to pick apart my choices (there's a few names I never heard of before - I tried to find players with significant time on each team) {basically, he picked people I heard of or those with fun names, like Chicken Hawk}:

C-Bobby Estalella
1B-Babe Dahlgren
2B-Mariano Duncan
3B-Charlie Hayes
SS-Dale Sveum
OF-Ruben Amaro Sr.
OF-Johnny Callison
OF-Bobby Abreu
DH-Oscar Gamble
C-Deacon McGuire
IF-Nick Etten
IF-Bill Keister
OF-Ricky Ledee
OF-Hersh Martin
SP-Al Orth
SP-Jon Lieber
SP-Shane Rawley
SP-Cory Lidle
SP-Terry Muholland
RP-Tom Gordon
RP-Jim Konstanty
RP-Sparky Lyle
RP-Paul Qunatrill
RP-Felix Rodriguez
RP-Jason Grimsley
Announcer-Jay Johnstone

Other notables: Miguel Cairo, David Dellucci, Mike Easler, Kevin Elster, Sal Fasano, Chicken Hawk, Rex Hudler Pete Incaviglia, Travis Lee, Kenny Lofton, Danny Tartabull, Mark Whiten, Todd Zeile, Marty Bystrom, Joe Cowley, Al Holland, Charles Hudson, Jeff Juden, Jim Kaat, Mark Leiter and Matt Smith.

Everyone knows this is a rematch of the 1950 World Series and that the Phillies are trying to avenge that sweep. I have no memories of that, but I do remember the first time they hooked up in the regular season.

It was September 1997 - a time before I knew Christine, and Curt Schilling was just a player the Red Sox once traded for Mike Boddicker. The Yankees were cruising toward the playoffs and the Phillies were headed for last place. I expected a drubbing but watched anyway. Curt struck out 16 in eight innings to start a three-game sweep.

Since then, it's been relatively even, and the Yankees hold an 11-10 edge in the 21 regular season matchups the teams have played. This year, the Phillies took two of three despite two blown saves from Brad Lidge. Brett Myers won the first game; Lidge lost the second while Fox dubbed a random fan John Mayberry Sr.; and the Phillies won the finale 4-3 in the 11th, but it felt like a loss because Lidge blew a strong performance by Cole Hamels.

I think I'm done with the history lessons. I only have one unanswered question for the future: Who will be more irrational this week, Christine in her bias for the Phillies or me in my bias against the Yankees?

Go Phils!

Look back at 2008: Oops, almost forgot about this little feature, so there's one more history lesson today. On this date, Christine pretty much predicted Joe Blanton's home run in Game 4, and it was starting to sink in that the Phillies were probably going to win the World Series with us in attendance.

Yankees = wusses

Instead of just adding "Look back at 2008" at the bottom of today's post, I'm going to lead off with it.

A year ago tonight, Christine and I were scrambling to prepare the house for a small party the next day while getting ready to watch the Phillies first home World Series game in 15 years. I remember the night vividly because there was torrential rain as I went to the store to pick up some last-minute items.

It was kind of reminiscent of last night's rain, except last October was much colder than yesterday's humid 60+ degrees.

The Phillies and Rays waited out the rain and then played a truly memorable game. Jamie Moyer gutted out 6 1/3 innings. We later found out that he had a sleepless night with stomach ailments. The Phillies won in the wee hours of the morning in the bottom of the 9th when Carlos Ruiz hit a ball to third slow enough to score Eric Bruntlett. The Phillies showed championship grit with the weather and the Rays, and pretty much set themselves up for the series win.

The Yankees found themselves in a similar position before last night's scheduled Game 6 of the ALCS. Did they wait out the heavy rain and then play in what were better conditions than what the Phillies and Rays (and Philly fans) suffered through last year? Nope, the game was called off hours before it started.

At home, I couldn't believe it when I hard a host on the MLB Network say "awesome" when they showed a clip of Andy Pettitte having a catch in the drizzle.

If he wants to see a truly "awesome" pitching performance in the rain, he should skip ahead to Thursday's look back at 2008 to review our recap of the first half of Game 5 of the World Series.

I still can't believe we sat through that crap. Christine can't believe that no one understands how bad it was. The Yankees and their fans certainly never will.

I hope New York wins tonight ... against the Arizona Cardinals.

Go Angels!

So glad tonight's schedule is AL-only

We try to schedule visits to my parents to coincide with occasional Saturday morning appointments we have in Trenton.

We have one today and had committed to seeing the folks before we knew for sure the Phillies would take care of business early. Thank goodness they did because Game 7 was scheduled for tonight, a game that was not necessary.

So we won't be listening to a very nervous Larry Andersen on the drive home tonight, but a nervous John Sterling.

We'll be home long before the game ends, but I hope Sterling has two more games this year, each ending with, "Thhhhheeeee Yankees lose. Thhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankeeeeeeeeeeees loooooooooooooooooosssseee."

Go Angels.

Look back at 2008: The Phillies didn't play on this date either as they made what would be their final road trip of the season between Games 2 and 3. I was nervous about how Christine would react if the Phillies dropped Game 3 and actually trailed in the series.

An encore of 2004 would be heavenly

What a game last night. Despite being wiped out, I made it to the last out. My eyes were closed, but I heard Brian Fuentes get Nick Swisher to pop out with the bases loaded to end the 7-6 Angels win and send the ALCS back to New York, where whispers of the ghosts of 2004 are already popping up.

New York Newsday columnist Bruce Matthews suggests that if the Yankees blow this 3-1 lead to the Angels, it could be worse than blowing the 0-3 lead in the great 2004 ALCS. I disagree just because of the teams involved, but sentiment aside, he's got a point:

Last night's 7-6 loss to the Angels - who suddenly seem to have remembered that their strategy of creating havoc on the basepaths works only if they actually get on base - did more than cut the Yankees' lead in the ALCS to 3-2.

It also raises the specter of another catastrophic failure, but for this one, there would be no excuse or any consolation. You see, these Angels are not nearly as good as the 2004 Red Sox. And these Yankees are a lot better than the 2004 Yankees. At least, they're supposed to be.

The New York Times suggests the odds are against the Yankees being the fourth team with home-field advantage to blow a 3-1 lead in a best of seven series. But no team had blown a 3-0 lead before 2004:

Five other times, Jeter's Yankees have been in this position, ahead by 3-1 in the A.L.C.S. Three times, the Yankees won the series in five. Another time, they won it in six. Then there was 2004.

Every pinstriped fan knows what happened then. The Yankees won the first three games against Boston, and lost the fourth game in 12 heart-stopping innings. They lost the fifth game, too, and the last two at Yankee Stadium.

I don't think the Angels will win both games in New York, but the fact that they're making the Yankees and their fans squirm is good enough for me. And they have made it close enough to stop us from talking as if we definitively know who will face the Phillies next week.

Red Sox: They continue to lose: Assistant GM Jed Hoyer is going to be the man in San Diego, and Brad Mills (a SoxandPhil) could be the Astros manager.

Look back at 2008: The Phillies lost Game 2 of the World Series - Christine's favorite Phillies loss ever because it guaranteed the series would last five games. (We had tickets for Game 5.)

Will Jimmy be right?

Although it's not exactly Troy Tulowitzki predicting the Rockies would return to Fenway for the World Series in 2007, Jimmy Rollins called a PhilsandYanks World Series in an offseason interview with Playboy.

The night after J-Roll and the Phils clinched their World Series berth, the Angels will try to thwart his prediction. Although the shortstop has backed up many of his predictions, he has been wrong before. He predicted he would hit .400 for an entire month this year - the closest he came was .313 in July.

OK, enough silliness.

We're still trying to put last night's win in perspective. For me, 2004 was great. It was a liberating moment that made my decision to be a Red Sox fan worthwhile. The 2007 championship, wasn't as fun, but it validated 2004, making it clear that the Red Sox were now a premier team - a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

I think that's what's going on right now with the Phillies and why Christine, even though she was expecting a win, dropped her jaw for a few moments after the game ended. The team of her youth, which never made the playoffs except for the fluke of 1993, has become an elite team. Four more wins and there will be no argument that the Phillies are the class of baseball. After growing up rooting for a crappy team, that's pretty heady stuff.

Jayson Stark has a good piece on the Phillies rise from the team of 10,000 losses to consecutive National League pennants:

Just 12 months after winning one World Series, they are heading for another World Series. No Phillies team before them had ever done that. Not a one.

Not the Phillies of Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts. Not the Phillies of Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Not the Phillies of Curt Schilling and Lenny Dykstra. And, it goes without saying, sure as heck not the Phillies of Jerry Spradlin or Juan Bell.

This team has separated itself from all of them now. It guaranteed that much with a 10-4 thumping of the Dodgers on Wednesday that finished off the National League Championship Series in five games.

And while this team hasn't finished the mission, hasn't defended yet or repeated yet or ridden the parade floats yet, these Phillies have already accomplished something almost as important:

The metamorphosis of an entire franchise.

{I'll believe there's a metamorphosis when we get a decent game time for next year's NLDS. And I don't think 2008 and 2009 are comparable. 2008 was different just because there was so much riding on it. 2009 was not less fun in any way, just different because everyone now expects this team to win.}

Red Sox news: Tim Wakefield spoke after his surgery and said he wants to win 25 more games to give him at least 200 in his career:

"Past that, I really can't tell you," Wakefield said. "I'm not planning on getting to that point and retiring, if that's the question you're asking. I still feel like I can contribute. I still feel like I can compete at the highest level, and I'm going to continue to play as long as my body allows me and as long as the Red Sox want me around.

"I do have those goals in mind, and it's something that that's not the only reason why I'm playing. I'm playing because I feel like I can still contribute to us winning a championship."

Wakefield vs. Jamie Moyer in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series?

Bring on the Yankees, or preferably the Angels

{Wooooooooooooo! I'll let Greg take over now.}

Cole Hamels didn't earn a cupcake tonight, but his mates deserve a tray of them for beating the Dodgers 10-4 to clinch their second consecutive World Series appearance.

It's late. I'm catching a cold. We'll celebrate tomorrow.

Christine is in disbelief. She says I can't stop writing this blog because of the team's success during the past two years.

Bring on the Yankees. But I wouldn't object to seeing the Angels wipe out the Yankees in epic fashion.

Other news: Before the game, Pedro Martinez wouldn't be baited into talking about the possibility of pitching against his old nemesis:

I (Globe reporter Peter Abraham) tried to engage Pedro in some "what about facing the Yankees" talk yesterday after he threw a bullpen at Citizens Bank Park. But he would have none of it. "I know what you're trying to do," he said with a smile. "Not yet."

And Tim Wakefield's surgery was successful.

Look back at 2008: Christine summed up her feelings on the eve of the World Series. She dropped a hint for a Christmas gift. Usually, I'm good with things like that, but I dropped the ball. We bought one later, but we can't remember exactly when. Christine thinks it was at our first game of the year on May 2, but there's no record of it on the blog.

[Photo credit: Treetshop.com]

A cookie for J-Roll

Entering the 9th inning last night, the Phillies trailed the Dodgers 4-3 and Christine was getting cranky at the prospect that the Phillies might actually be tested in a playoff series.

She kept flashing her fingers, trying to illustrate to me the difference between being up 3-1 and tied at 2 in a seven-game set. As if I didn't live through the Red Sox coming back from 0-3 against the Yankees in 2004.

After Raul Ibanez grounded out, the announcers said pinch-hitter Matt Stairs had one thing on his mind.

"Cheese," I said. "A big wheel of cheddar."

After he walked, and Carlos Ruiz got hit by a pitch, Christine and I started "bribing" Phillies with treats if they'd come through.

We tempted pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs with a cheesecake - we once read a gossip item about him being spotted at our local Cheesecake Factory. But he lined out.

When Jimmy Rollins stepped up, Christine offered a chocolate chip cookie. With nuts. For no particular reason.

"I just think J-Roll would like chocolate chip cookies," she said.

We all know he earned his treat with a game-winning double, putting the Phillies in position to clinch their second straight National League Championship tomorrow night. (If Cole Hamels comes through, there is a cupcake in it for him.)

Phil Sheridan also invoked snack treats when describing the improbable comeback:

The Phillies were down to their last out, their last two strikes, last night. Broxton, who looks like Paul Bunyan's great-grandson, only meaner, was throwing 100-mile-an-hour heat. Rollins, who is about the size of a midnight snack for Broxton, wagged his bat as if daring the big guy to bring it on.

Well, we bought a chocolate chip cookie tonight for J-Roll, but Christine decided it would probably cause awkwardness, if not involve police, if we showed up at the shortstop's house bearing a solitary cookie, so she ate it in his honor. Tasty.

I had a slice of cheesecake - symbolizing the piece Dobbs didn't get because he didn't deliver.

Look back at 2008: Nothing much happened on this date, so we'll look back to 2004 because today is the fifth anniversary of us toppling the Empire:

Red Sox fans will forever remember it as their day of redemption, the victory that made the deep, personal investment of time and emotion through so many
seasons worthwhile at last.

Pedro Martinez doesn't know whether the 2009 Phillies or 2004 Red Sox are the better team:

This team maybe has a little bit of an edge on that team because there's more talent, probably, overall. When you combine everything that we have — the pitching, the relieving, all that — it seems to be more of a package. But I don't know. This team is a little bit quieter than in '04. In '04, we were a whole bunch of characters that were really loud. There was a lot of noise in that clubhouse.

[Photo credits: cookie - upontop.org, cheesecake - davidscookies.com]

SoxandPhils stories

I did a double take this morning when I saw this picture. It is a fairly unremarkable picture from a dominant 11-0 win that gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead over the Dodgers in the NLCS.

What made me pause is that it was not from a Philadelphia Web site. It was from the Boston Globe's lead baseball story. I like the Phillies, but kind of depressing that they're getting top billing in Boston.

It wasn't the only story in the news with SoxandPhils connections.

The Jayson Werth castoff to All-Star story is well-known. The Los Angeles Times has a story that illustrates how far he had to come, or just how stupid former Red Sox and Dodger manager Grady Little was:

Grady Little understood the question.

He just didn't recognize the name.

"Who?" asked Little, then the Dodgers manager, in August 2006 after a reporter inquired about the status of Jayson Werth.

It was a clear indication of how the outfielder -- sidelined for the entire season by a nagging wrist injury -- figured into the Dodgers' long-term plans.

That is to say, he didn't.

Ah, it's been fun this week remembering the Grady Little era. No, it hasn't.

Speaking of Grady Gump, his moment of infamy (yes, I'm still bitter) was replayed on MLB Network this week. Joe Torre kept it on in the Dodgers clubhouse, but ball-stealing Doug Mientkiewicz represented the next day when the network aired the 2004 ALCS:

"Turnabout is fair play," Torre said with a laugh. Torre was asked if he watched replays of games he managed in previous years. "I do when I know the result is good," he said. "Do you think I'm crazy?"

I won't answer that.

Uh-oh: Forget the Steve Sax stuff - Mitch Williams says Chase Utley is injured.

Today's games: And never mind the Empire rising stuff. Angels aren't done yet, winning 5-4 in 11 innings.

Ryan Howard belted a two-run homer in the 1st right after TBS noted that Randy Wolf gave up only one home run to a lefty all year. Joe Blanton started out well, but the Dodgers rallied. The Phillies are trying to mount a comeback, but still trail 4-3 in the 7th.

I could have sworn in the 6th inning I saw someone in the crowd wearing a "Henderson 31" jersey. Ramon Henderson, really?

Look back at 2008: We're skipping this feature tonight on account that I posted what should have been today's recap yesterday. Oops. And, as Christine noted, I missed out on posting the Red Sox win to force Game 7. Oh well.

[Photo Credit: Associated Press]

LCS, past and present

The Yankees are breezing through the playoffs - but they haven't yet faced the Phillies - and have reminded me of the awful times before 2001 when the Evil Empire would win store-bought title after store-bought title.

I thought those days were long gone after Curt Schilling and Luis Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Curt again dealt them stunning defeats - not to mention the little blows by the Angels in 2002 and 2005, Tigers in 2006, Indians (with a pre-sellout CC Sabathia) in 2007, and Rays and Red Sox in 2008.

I thought the Yankees were dead and buried, but they seem to be rising up like Michael Myers - the vengeful sociopath, not the lefty pitcher.

After seeing the Yankees sweep the Twins and then take the first two games against the Angels, I fear the Yankees have rediscovered their championship-buying ability. Hopefully, Alex Rodriguez remembers he's a choker; Derek Jeter remembers he's overrated; and Mark Teixeira remembers that he was too wussy to play in Boston.

Hopefully, the Angels come back and the Phillies take care of business so I don't have to root for Joe Torre. I feel dirty just thinking about it.

All of this reminds me that today is the fifth anniversary of Game 5 of the 2004 ALCS. They showed it on MLB Network today, and it was fun watching David Ortiz end the game in the 14th to send the series back to New York and set up the bloody sock game.

I don't think I have to tell you know how that ended up, but Ellis Burks will in his as-told to Nick Cafardo account of the thrilling 2004 ALCS, appropriately titled "Not this time." I know I'm a Red Sox mark, but this had some great insight, including how the grizzled veteran motivated several players when hope was all but gone and how he jawed back at the stupid New York fans who thought it was their birthright to win the series.

Look back at 2008: The Red Sox were three runs away from a SoxandPhils World Series, but Big Papi and his mates couldn't reprise their 2004 mojo. I also made my first incorrect prediction of a 2009 SoxandPhils series.

Live for the moment: All right, Christine is reminding me that I'm wasting way too much time in cyberspace remembering the past when there is a game going on. So far, so good. The Phillies lead 8-0 in the 7th. Cliff Lee has given up three hits with six strikeouts. Ryan Howard helped his case for LCS MVP with three more RBIs. But no matter what he does, Christine prefers Carlos Ruiz, who is hitting .625 in the LCS.

Fresh coat of paint

Too often we focus on what could be instead of realizing the good things around us.

I'm guilty of this all the time, and I think many Phillies fans are doing so after yesterday's 2-1 loss.

Yes, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but it's not the end of the world. Cue the big man:

While disappointed, (Ryan) Howard kept an even temperament. That's a reason for his success - he doesn't allow his emotions to get the better of him.

"I am not going say it was a heartbreaking loss because a loss is a loss," he said. "We're still very confident, and we're now going back home."

I know the instinct is to say that Pedro Martinez's masterpiece should have yielded a win, sending the Phillies home with a 2-0 lead and in excellent position to secure a spot in a second consecutive World Series. But consider this: Don't you think Dodgers fans are saying, "Hey, we scored four runs off Cole Hamels in Game 1, we could be up 2-0?"

Fact is, the Phillies split the first two road games, effectively taking home field advantage away from the Dodgers. They are the defending World Champions, although, it's hard to tell that from the criticism Charlie Manuel is getting for pulling Pedro after seven innings yesterday. (Someone on my Red Sox e-mail list noted, "Somewhere, Grady Little is smiling.")

That reminded me of another conversation I had recently with a Red Sox fan who was upset with the first round sweep. He demanded they fire Terry Francona, cut David Ortiz and trade Jonathan Papelbon. Why? Because after winning 95 games this year and two World Championships in the last five, they couldn't win three more games?

I've noticed I've been a lot more mellow lately as a sports fan. I can't decide whether I'm losing interest or gaining perspective. Probably a bit of both. I love the game. I love the strategy. I love the mental mind games trying to decide whether it makes sense to trade Jonathan Papelbon - not out of scorn because of one blown save, but because it may improve the team for next year.

Sorry, I don't know how I got so diverted.

Point is, Phillies fans, relax. You had a great ride in 2008, and the sequel is by no means over. Big picture, your team has to go 7-5 to win its second straight championship. Charlie Manuel may be frustrating, mind-boggling and seemingly overmatched at times, but he has provided us great entertainment and that elusive title. And in a couple weeks he may hoist another trophy.

(Christine's of a similar mindset, but is worried about falling into the more pessimistic outlook because we have a whole rainy day to stew about it before Cliff Lee takes the mound tomorrow night.)

Oh yeah, the reason for that picture up top: Remember a few months ago, we noticed that the Phillies sign beyond centerfield needed a new coat of paint? Well, just as Pedro refreshed the ending of his brilliant career and a fresh outlook is needed after yesterday, the Phillies took care of that sign. I don't know exactly when, but we're pretty sure it was still cruddy for the last regular season game and repainted before the playoffs (we took the picture at our game last week).

Look back at 2008: On this day last year, the Phillies were waiting for the World Series while the Red Sox were heading to Tampa for Game 6. Our fish were in a bucket.

Game 2 nostalgia

Today reminded me of Octobers from my youth. I'd scramble off the bus, pop open my notebook and do my homework while watching playoff baseball.

(The Giants Jeffrey Leonard, No. 00, with the hands-down home run trot, winning the 1987 NLCS MVP despite losing to the Cardinals particularly sticks out for some reason.)

Anyway, it was odd but definitely interesting to have an afternoon playoff game. I watched the first couple innings at work, listened to a couple on the ride home and then watched the last few with Christine at home.

The good feelings evaporated over our dinner (leftover Chinese food). After Pedro Martinez was vintage Pedro - two hits, no walks and three strikeouts in seven shutout innings - things fell apart with the Phillies holding a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers.

Chan Ho Park, who surprised me with a shutdown inning in Thursday night's win, came in and gave up a leadoff single (should have been an error on Pedro Feliz). They got nobody out on the following sacrifice bunt. Then, on a surefire double play, Chase Utley threw the ball about 10 feet from Ryan Howard, allowing the tying run to score.

With Jim Thome pinch-hitting, Scott Eyre came in. After the announcers lamented that Thome was 0-7 in his career against Eyre, he singled.

Ryan Madson came in - walked a batter, struck out a batter.

J.A. Happ came in and walked in a run.

Chad Durbin got a pop out to end the inning.

Is this any way to run a pitching staff?

So after two games, the Phillies won a shaky Cole Hamels start, 8-6, on Thursday but wasted a dominant Pedro start, 2-1, on Friday. I have a feeling this series is going to be longer and wilder than I originally thought.

I can't imagine how Christine is going to hold up; she seems to think they're done. But I know if they win Sunday, she'll say the Phillies won't go back to Dodger Stadium this year.

AL notes: The stupid Yankees lead the stupid Angels 4-1 in the 8th inning of Game 1. ... Tim Wakefield's surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. ... The Red Sox want Takashi Saito back, but not at $6 million. ... No more extended God Bless America at Yankee Stadium as Ronan Tynan proved to be not the embodiment of America.

Game 1 on

***10:30 UPDATE: Apologies to Scott Lauber for stealing his phrasing about the Pedro-Padilla matchup. It wasn't intentional. Also, Phillies clinging to a 5-4 lead. Christine's not so calm anymore.***

As a fan, I can't complain about all these 8:07 p.m. starts for the NLCS games. Nor will I lodge a complaint as a blogger, but I won't attempt to get final scores in my nightly posts.

Here are the pregame doings:

--Pedro Martinez will start Game 2 vs. Vicente Padilla. Who'd have thunk that? I've been meaning to comment on how Big Joe Blanton has gotten the shaft this postseason. He was arguably the Phillies best starter and definitely the most consistent. So how come he gets bumped again for the 37-year-old who hasn't pitched since Sept. 30 and has a bum rib, neck or whatever body part he claims is hurting?

But if Charlie Manuel must pitch Pedro, this is the best possible plan. Pitch him in the warm weather with Blanton or J.A. Happ ready to come in at the slightest hint of trouble. If Pedro can't cut it, whichever starter relieves him should get the Game 6 start *if necessary.

--Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick were booted from the roster for Eric Bruntlett and Chan Ho Park. Brett's response: "I'm (ticked)."

I'm not going to carry the flag for young Brett, but I don't understand how you can take a pitcher who hasn't pitched since Sept. 16. Forget Myers, how could they take Chan Ho over Kendrick and Tyler Walker - two of the Phillies most reliable relievers at the end of the season.

By the way, if you heard Howard Eskin say that the Phillies cannot change their roster if they make it to the World Series, ignore him. He's a dolt. Teams can change their roster before each round. The afternoon ass said they purposely made this move because LCS rosters are frozen for the rest of the playoffs. Dolt.

Red Sox (former ones anyway): One storyline I forgot was the matchup of Pedro and Manny Ramirez. Thankfully, Nick Cafardo is on the beat:

They are competing in the National League Championship Series, on opposite sides, Martinez with the Phillies and Ramirez with the Dodgers. They are a huge part of Red Sox lore, teammates in 2004 when they helped pull off the greatest comeback in baseball history against the Yankees and went on to win the World Series.

Who could forget it, especially with the fifth anniversary coming up?

Manny could.

"I don't remember anything, man," he said yesterday. "I don't remember too much about that or about last year or any of that. I just don't think about the past."

It was one of those Manny conversations. Pretty random. It had an impromptu start and an impromptu ending. It was all about what Manny wanted to talk about, after the media pummeled him with questions in Spanish and English as he sat near his locker. He smiled and laughed and didn't elaborate on a whole lot.

Tonight's game: In the top of the 5th, the Phillies trail 1-0 on a James Loney home run. With 67 pitches through four innings, this feels more like a 2009, than 2008, Cole Hamels start.

Christine is taking the score quite well. She's quietly kept the phaith so far.

Sometimes I forget that my first allegiance is no longer to the story. Christine hit me because I made a disappointed noise when it appeared Jayson Werth hit a home run that would have caused me to rewrite this post.

The ball didn't go out, and I would up having to write more anyway.

I miss being a reporter sometimes.

Chooch Chooch Chooch!!! Is what I just chanted when Carlos Ruiz hit his three-run home run. Mr. Clutch. Phillies 3, Dodgers 1. Chooch!!

On playoff eve, who's it gonna be?

With the Phillies and Dodgers ready to renew their LCS rivalry, it's time for Christine and me to renew our playoff predictions from the first round.

I went with my heart in the AL and was wrong on both counts. In the NL, I missed on the Dodgers and got only the Phillies right, predicting them to win in four.

Christine did a little better, only missing by picking the Cardinals over the Dodgers, but she did so thinking they would pose less of a fight for the Phillies in the LCS.

According to Rob Neyer, she may be right in that the Dodgers will be formidable. The stats guru picks the Dodgers in five, and he's backed up by Diamond Mind Baseball, which has the Dodgers winning 765 out of 1,000 simulations, most commonly in five games.

I haven't discussed this yet with Christine, but I'm pretty sure the SoxandPhils prognosticators will respectfully disagree with the numbers guy and computer.

I'll agree with Jimmy Rollins:

"You have to understand this team," shortstop and oracle Jimmy Rollins said as the champagne dried on his uniform Monday night in Denver. "We don't play this game to walk away at the beginning of October and say, 'Great season, see you in spring training.'"

I'll go with the Little Red Machine besting Dodger Blue in six. In the AL, the Yankees look different from their teams of recent years, but I think the Angels will pull it out in six.

Christine's picks:

Phillies vs. Dodgers: Phillies, no doubt.

Angels vs. Yankees: Angels. Because we all know by now that I picked the Angels and Phillies to meet up in the World Series.

Red Sox: How depressing. The Boston Globe's Extra Bases blog went 24 hours without an update - and that was just to run the postseason calendar.

Purely personal: We've had a tough time keeping catfish alive and happy lately, so we tried buying a pair of them instead of having just one in the tank. Christine and I couldn't decide whether they like each other - sometimes they swim together, but sometimes they stay on opposite ends of the tank.

"Maybe they're best friends/worst enemies, like teenage girls," she said.

"Oh-uh," I said. "I just named them."

(Usually when we name our fish it's a kiss of death.)

"Pedro and Jamie Moyer."

I just hope we don't have a repeat of last year's mess.

The day after

I may be the more rational fan (except for my hatred of the Yankees), but Christine is the better baseball fan.

Case in point: Finishing dinner tonight, less than 24 hours after her team finished an exhilarating comeback win to finish off a playoff series, she looked sad and said, "I know they can't start the series tonight, but couldn't they play an exhibition or something?"

I told her to pop in a DVD of the 2008 NLCS to get her psyched up for Dodgers-Phillies II. The grudge match. Hell in a cell. This time it's personal. I'll let you pick your own tagline for the series.

Meanwhile, here's a list of some of the annoying story lines that will be shoved down our throats:

1) Joe Torre is hoping to return to the World Series against his former team.

2) Possible showdown between teams inspired by the memories of Harry Kalas and Nick Adenhart.

3) Possible all Los Angeles series, or all I-95 series should the Phillies face the Empire.

4) Jim Thome, once the man in Philly, is now a pinch hitter for the Dodgers. Other former Phils in the series include Randy Wolf and Vicente Padilla.

5) Dodgers castoffs Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth and Pedro Martinez phlourish for the Phils.

6) Former Charlie Manuel pupil Manny Ramirez will try again to beat him in the NLCS.

*One story line Christine won't get tired of is: Mets fans' heads explode as World Series could feature their two favorite teams.

More agita for Mets fans: There's been some talk about a Phillies dynasty. This tidbit from Jayson Stark suggests they may already be one:

Of all the National League teams that have won a World Series over the past century-plus, these Phillies are only the fifth, believe it or not, to come back and win a postseason series the following year.

They're the first since the 1995-96 Braves. Before them came the 1975-76 Reds. And before those two, you have to travel back to the baseball stone age -- to the 1921-22 Giants and the 1907-08 Cubs.

And that's all, friends. So when people talk about how hard it is to repeat, you can stop them right there. Repeat? It's hard enough to win one stinking series the next time around.

Red Sox: They won the World Series today as Josh Beckett dominated the Diamondbacks in Game 5. Yep, for me, all I've got left is Baseball Mogul. I did a better job today than Theo Epstein, who is faced with another challenging off-season. It may include saying goodbye to some of the soldiers of 2004. There are only four of them left, and there's speculation that any or all of Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek could be gone next year, leaving only Kevin Youkilis.

Reading this, I had a strange feeling that Youk may be gone too. Theo loves him, but I could see some bold trade centered around the Greek God of Walks. I dunno, just have a strange feeling.

Phillies make baby kittens cry - and then squeal with joy

{OMG. I told Greg that he could start writing this post as the Phillies were blowing it in the bottom of the 8th because the game was over. The ultimate reverse psychology worked. Phillies 5, Rockies 4. On to the NLCS.}

While logging on to begin comparing Cliff Lee's postseason dominance with Josh Beckett in 2007 and Cole Hamels in 2008, the Phillies fell apart.

Lee, cruising with a 2-1 lead, started the 8th inning with an out, then a walk to Dexter Fowler. Then Lee induced what could have been an inning-ending double play, but the ball and Fowler reached Chase Utley at the same time. Fowler jumped over Chase who tossed the ball to Jimmy Rollins who muffed it.

I don't have to go on. The Rockies scored three runs and won 4-2. Tomorrow, Christine, for the first time in her life, will watch a playoff game in which the Phillies either move on or go home.

Unless the Phillies give Cole Hamels a big lead early, it's not going to be a pleasant night in our house tomorrow.

I wonder if I can schedule that dentist appointment I've been putting off.

It could be worse. At least her team's newspaper isn't resorting to cheap tricks to cheer up the fan base:


[Photo credit: Boston Globe]

Monday morning recap

I didn't make it.

Greg fell asleep sometime after 12:30 this morning, but I was determined to watch the whole game. (We are both off today but had various early appointments, so while the game time was not ideal, it wasn't as bad as if we were working today.) I warned Greg that I was not responsible if my cheering or booing woke him up. He was willing to take that chance. [She was surprisingly quiet.]

But by the time the Phillies were ending their failed 8th inning rally, I was conking out. The injury to Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson's subsequent warming up in the 7th had really slowed down the pace of the game. And then Madson completely killed the timing - I never realized until last night how slowly he works, especially with men on base, and especially compared with the speedy Joe Blanton a few innings earlier.

So I turned off the TV not knowing the result of game 3 of the NLDS. Honestly, I was reluctant to find out the score this morning. I couldn't believe that Madson was pitching in the 7th inning - who was going to pitch late in the game if it were a save situation? The last thing I wanted to hear is that Brad Lidge blew yet another game.

Turns out, he tried to blow it, but the Phillies held on. Phillies 6, Rockies 5. It wasn't pretty, but they got it done.

Game 4 tonight, at a very reasonable 6:07 p.m. I expect we'll both be watching the end of this one.

Let's go Angels (until the PhilsandAngels Series begins)

When Jonathan Papelbon trotted out in the 8th to clean up Billy Wagner's mess, I asked out loud whether this was when Pap's perfect playoff ERA would come to an end.

Christine was sitting next to me, but I was really talking to myself.

Juan Rivera, hitless in eight at-bats against Papelbon, singled in two runs, but the 0.00 ERA, and more importantly, the lead were still in tact.

The Red Sox tacked on a run in the bottom of the 8th, extending their lead to two runs, but Papelbon failed. Unbelievable. The fans booed. Papelbon was removed mid-inning. He was upset ... at himself:

These fans don't expect any more out of me than I do out of myself. You know, I think they get so accustomed to seeing me do what I do. And when I don't do what I do, I think it's kind of like, "Well, why didn't he do that?"

In the bottom of the 9th, Christine kept reminding me that I predicted the Red Sox season would not end today. I stood by that prediction through the inning - until the season ended with a 7-6 loss to the Angels and a first-round sweep.

{Sorry, Greg, for being so right on that prediction.}

Despite being eliminated before the Yankees for the first time since 2006, it was a decent season. Our expectations were higher, but being sour about a 95-win season is something only a Yankees fan would do. This wasn't our year, but we'll reload and be ready to compete in 2010.

Meanwhile, I congratulate and support (assuming the Yankees finish off the Twins) the Angels. They dominated us, and if they play the Empire, I hope they beat them just as soundly. But after that, they'll be the enemy again should they lock horns with the Phillies in the World Series.

Speaking of which ... SoxandPhils World Series in 2010!

I can't believe that I'm finishing this post, and it's still one hour until game time. I'm not going to make it - especially considering I dozed off when the Angels made a pitching change in the 8th inning of a game that started at noon.

At least Monday's game will be at a decent time - 4:07 p.m. or 6:07 p.m., depending on whether there is a Yankees-Twins game tomorrow. I'm hoping for the double header.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Snowed out

So a year after the Phillies began their World Series clincher in a monsoon, they've been snowed out. Game 3 will be tomorrow at 10:07 p.m. and Game 4 will be sometime on Monday.

You know what that means ... shopping spree!

How were many players spending the day? Going to the mall.

"What else do you do when it's snowing outside?" Werth said.

Um, J-Dub, when it's snowing, I clear off our cars, go to work and then shovel the driveway when I get home. Christine says she stays inside, but usually she makes it to work.

With the delay, J.A. Happ gets Pedro Martinez's start. Cliff Lee will start Game 4, and I assume, as long as the wife allows him, that Cole Hamels would pitch Game 5, if necessary.

I was thinking this morning, how weird has this Pedro Martinez experience been? He's gone from an intriguing and perplexing signing, to extraneous, to dominant, to forgotten, to playoff starter and then back to "why the hell is he on this team again?"

Red Sox: I made it to the end of last night's game, a 4-1 loss to the Angels, even though it was nearly 1 a.m. and I had to work this morning. Josh Beckett looked like playoff Josh until the 7th inning. He was locked in a 1-1 pitcher's duel with Jered Weaver until then.

Five years ago, I woke up Oct. 17 devastated. The Red Sox were one game from elimination without registering a win in the ALCS. I had to work at the shore that morning and conceded the series to the Yankees.

Coincidentally, work brought me to the shore this morning. But I don't feel as devastated despite the similar predicament. It doesn't look good for the Sox, but they won the ALDS in 1999 and 2003 despite falling behind 0-2. I don't think they're going to pull this series out, but by no means am I giving up.

I say with certainty that their season will not end tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow's game, which starts at noon, it looks like Terry Francona is over his tummy ache and has graduated from bananas and saltines to large quantities of salted pork and caffeine. Ewww.

Recapping one Game 2, while waiting for another Game 2 to start

I know this game recap is a bit outdated, but we had a busy day yesterday and I needed something to do while waiting for the Red Sox to start Game 2 and hopefully even things up with the Angels.

In past years when we were headed to a playoff game, even though it wasn't my team, I could not concentrate on anything but the impending game.

This year, not so much. I couldn't decide whether it was because we decided to buy tickets at the last minute or because this is becoming old hat. I settled on the fact that last year was so perfect (how many three-day World Series clinchers can you attend in one lifetime?) that I didn't want to run those memories.

It turns out that despite the 5-4 loss to the Rockies, we had a good time and I don't think it soured my memories of 2008. Here's our day:

Christine and I joked that it was the Budweiser Clydesdales that pushed her over the edge when she was torn whether she wanted to pay a premium for marked-up playoff tickets.

I'm not so sure it was a joke.

She had her picture taken in front of the horseys, but after making her blog pictorial debut earlier in the week, I don't think she was ready for another.

Afterward, I spotted a guy wearing a Cubs jacket. I don't wear Red Sox garb while attending a Phillies playoff game - unless we get tickets to the SoxandPhils series.

John Kruk tossed the first pitch to Milt Thompson. ... Jarrod Spector of Jersey Boys sang the anthem. I don't remember it so it couldn't have been too bad. {Greg may not have been paying attention, but the crowd really enjoyed it.} ... The sweet smell of roasted nuts - not sold during the regular season - permeated the stands. ... When they broke out Motley Crue's Kickstart My Heart in the 2nd inning, we thought the scoreboard guys weren't going to leave anything to chance, but then the music selection got really weak. They even broke out Bongo Cam at one point. But after Christine complained about it (to me) things picked up.

Before the 6th inning - the only frame featuring a Phillies rally - they started playing the pump-you-up montages. It started with a scene from Friday Night Lights followed by Welcome to the Jungle. In the later innings, they showed clips from Rocky II, Hoosiers and Miracle, with musical selections of the Rocky theme, more Crue, this time Wild Side, and something else that I neglected to write down in my notes.

In the 9th, it started with the apocalyptic Phillies montage followed by Are You Gonna Go My Way. Then, after a pitching change, they broke out Animal House and Rock and Roll.

But it was all for naught; not even the Phillies biggest cheerleader could rally the crowd. I think the playoffs require something a little better than the Phanatic in drag. Although, kudos to his umpire partner who lifted the big lug so the Phanatic could sit on his shoulders.

Our section was prominently featured on Phan-O-Vision all day. I first noticed it because a couple of rows in front of us were three women waving two signs: "Got Phillies Fever" "Trust Us, We're Nurses." ... The scoreboard might have caught me, but I didn't notice. I hope not because I was blowing my nose when it focused on a little girl dancing in the row in front of me.

We felt bad for the two children, the aforementioned dancing girl and a young infant, in front of us whose parents crammed into two seats. It was fairly cold in our section, which didn't get any sun. The baby was blue before they were seated and removed his jacket. ... Another big theme for signs was some variation of how it was "Werth it" to skip school for the playoffs.

J-Dub also got a Wayne's World style "We're not Werthy" from a couple of nearby fans. ... I couldn't believe how quickly the fans have turned on Cole Hamels and some of the other Phillies champions. One guy compared Chase Utley, who has never lit it up in the playoffs, to notorious October choker Alex Rodriguez. That guy, though, was an ass. Carlos Ruiz ended the Phillies lone rally by grounding into a double play on the first pitch. You'd think he was responsible for every little baby who has every cried and every little puppy with sad eyes. ... The guys in front of them were very loud, too. One guy kept standing up for no reason. But Christine liked him once the family with the chilly baby arrived and took his place as the most annoying fans in the section. ... Bunny Sigler sang God Bless America. He was well-received. I really liked his Phillies red suit he wore for the special occasion.

With just Paul Bako on the bench, I noted that Charlie Manuel had no one left to pinch-run for pinch-hitter Matt Stairs when he drew a 9th inning walk.

"Cliff Lee," Christine said, thinking of his stolen base on Wednesday.

"Hmm," I said. "That makes sense."

Sure enough, out he came. He took a really big lead as if he were going to steal again, but he stayed put and the Phillies couldn't drive him in.

Today's news: Pedro Martinez will start Saturday in the bitter cold; Cole Hamels had his boy, Caleb Michael Hamels; and Jamie Moyer has been in the hospital. (All in one Todd Zolecki post.)

Red Sox: They lost Game 1 to the Angels 5-0, but Jon Lester will be back for Game 4. Red Sox fans aren't too happy with CB Buckner. After some bad tacos, it's nothing but bananas and saltines for Terry Francona.

This was really our last game of the season

(Unless we actually win the lottery to buy World Series tickets. Found out today that we didn't win the right to buy for the NLCS.)

It was a good game despite the 5-4 loss to the Rockies, which snapped the Phillies eight-game home playoff winning streak.

It was a very unfamiliar feeling. Other than the 6th inning, when Ryan Howard and Co. (pictured here) scored three runs, the Phillies offense couldn't catch up with the Rockies pitching.

I never heard such a drastic switch between the cheers before the last pitch and the silence that followed.

On the way home, we stopped and enjoyed an Oktoberfest with our friends at the Mount Laurel Wyndam, the area's finest, and freshly remodeled, lodging establishment.

I'll have my usual detailed report tomorrow on the view from the stands, but it's time to be a Red Sox fan and watch their first game against the Angels right now. I have good vibes.

Dominant-Lee

I got in my car just in time to hear the last half inning of the Phillies game. Christine was able to leave a bit earlier and got home during the 7th inning.

We missed some game as Cliff Lee shut down the Rockies, 5-1, with a complete game that was a shutout for 8 2/3 innings.

I won't complain about the game time. I'll let Cole Hamels, who became the people's champ today, take up the cause:

Being the defending world champs, I think it's kind of a little weird that we kind of get both games at 2 o' clock. I don't think it's fair. I definitely don't think it's fair for the fans because this is all about the home-field advantage or just baseball in general.

Hopefully, Cole backs up those words with a gem of his own tomorrow. Christine and I changed our minds and StubHubbed some tickets. We couldn't bear not going to a single playoff game this year - especially the way this series started.

Making his playoff debut, Lee gave up just the one run on six hits with five strikeouts. He needed just 113 pitches in conditions that Jayson Werth called the second worst he ever played in in Philadelphia (besides that little bit of rain during Game 5 of the World Series). The entire lineup had a hit, including two each from the heart of the lineup. Lee became the fourth pitcher ever to steal a base during the playoffs. I'm very glad we had to beat CC Sabathia and not this guy in the 2007 ALCS.

As good as he looked on the mound, Lee sounded just as good in his post-game press conference with some good, but subtle, humor. I caught most of it on the radio, and Todd Zolecki recapped it, including the best line by a Phillie in a playoff game since Matt Stairs talked about pounding ass:

Lee on pitching in windy conditions. He was asked about getting blown off the mound: "Did I get blown off the mound? ... Oh, the wind. I thought you were talking about them stroking me."

We're 13 wins away from the SoxandPhils Series.

Red Sox: The roster's still not finalized, but it will be Paul Byrd over Manny Delcarmen for the final pitching spot. And sorry Phils fans, but you may have to see Terry Francona's mug on a bronze plaque in Cooperstown one day.

Ready to ride

Christine and I have followed our teams for 324 games, and now it could all be over in three games each, or we could have a long, intense month that ends with one of us not talking to the other.

Nothing is better than winning in the playoffs, and nothing is worse. The long marathon comes down to minutiae right now. Just ask the Twins and Tigers, whose season ended in game No. 163 before the Twins pushed across a run in the 12th inning to win 6-5. You have to love that they needed extra innings in an extra game to complete one of the biggest comebacks in baseball history. And, yes, we're quite familiar with how the NL East was won in 2007.

Before we make our predictions for the first round, here's a quick recap of today's SoxandPhils playoff notes: Cliff Lee starts game 1; Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ join the reality TV stars in The Pen; and Eric Bruntlett, Clay Condrey and Tyler Walker aren't on the roster for this round.

Christine is upset about the last one because Walker has been arguably the second best reliever on the Phillies this year. And he's been prominently featured as the Phillie most looking forward to his playoff debut.

No real surprises today for the Red Sox (although they're not announcing their roster until tomorrow), except for the fact that Manny Delcarmen was in a car crash on Saturday. That's odd they managed to kept that quiet for so long. And I forgot how good Jonathan Papelbon has been in the playoffs, so he's probably going to get rocked in his first appearance now.

Our picks: Of the SoxandPhils' preseason predictions, only Christine and I have our World Series in tact. She has the Phillies over the Angels; I have the Red Sox over the Phillies. We each stand by our picks, but mine was more precise {thanks for rubbing it in}:

World Series: Red Sox over Phillies. Jason Bay hits a walkoff home run in Game 7 - the first blown save in three years for Brad Lidge.

Here are my picks for the first round: I'm not as confident in the Sox as I have been in the past two years, and I am nervous that their dominance over the Angels in the playoffs is bound to even out eventually, but I think the Sox will pull it out in five.

I'll go with my heart over my head and take the Twins over the Yankees in four. But if the Twins lose Game 1, they'll be swept.

Despite the Phillies bullpen issues, I think they have enough to beat the Rockies in four. I'll take the Cardinals in four.

Christine's picks:

Rockies vs. Phillies: Phillies, no doubt.

Cardinals vs. Dodgers: Cardinals. I want an easy road to the World Series, and the Cardinals would definitely provide that.

Twins vs. Yankees: Yankees. Blah. But don't worry, they won't win it all.

Red Sox vs. Angels: Angels. If you'll recall my preseason pick, I wanted to say the Red Sox for the Wild Card, but Greg was kind of pissy over that. So I elevated them to AL East champs over the Rays (my division pick). Should have stuck with my Wild Card instinct. Anyway, this part of the prediction will stand. This is the year the Angels finally beat the Red Sox in a round of the playoffs, setting up an Angels-Phillies finale.

Shoe scum

Memo to Major League Baseball: As much as you'd like to forget it, the last two World Championships have been won by the Phillies and Red Sox, two teams that are on a collision course for the 2009 World Series.

But instead of getting the respect of a champion, our teams are being treated like something you'd scrape off a giant sneaker.

The Phillies, with the same schedule they got when they played the Rockies in 2007, will play their first three games when their fans are at school, at work or in bed.

The first two games are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Game 3 is scheduled for 9:37 p.m. Saturday.

What a crock. It's so bad that many fans are selling their tickets. Christine and I considered StubHubbing it for Thursday's game, but we couldn't pull the trigger on tickets that still would have cost $100 each after fees. Yahoo's game updates better be working well this week.

At least the Phillies know for sure when they'll be playing. The Red Sox still have to wait for the Tigers and Twins to sort things out before the Yankees announce which series they want. C'mon, does the opponent really make a difference as to which format you would select?

Anyway, everyone assumes the Yankees will opt for a series that will give the Red Sox 9:37 p.m. starts on Thursday and Friday against the Angels. That's about the time I nudge Christine to go to sleep. Within an hour and a half, she gives in, which means I might get to see three innings (at Red Sox playoff pace) before conking out.

They haven't announced times beyond Saturday, but I've heard that the Red Sox will play Sunday around noon and Monday, if necessary, at 8:37 p.m.

Case closed: In game 161, Brad Lidge found a new toy: a cut fastball. That will alleviate any 9th inning concerns.

Explanation: The picture above was taken during Sunday's game. Even the SoxandPhils photographer let her mind wander during the exhibition-like finale of the regular season. Actually, Christine just thought it was funny that when she looked down from our seats in the top row of the stadium, she saw a giant Phanatic sneaker with children sliding out of it.

Last dance, extended version

They're not saying "booooo," they're saying "Hoooove," in anticipation of Paul Hoover's walk-off hit.

I said that before Paul Hoover ended the game with a single in the 10th inning - a game that, with the Phillies playoff position cemented, felt like a spring training exhibition.

The only real drama was whether Jayson Werth - the only regular in the lineup for the Reading, err, Philadelphia Phillies - would get hits 100th RBI, hence the crowd's reaction when Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez played the game like it mattered in the 10th inning, opting to walk Werth with a base empty and a man in scoring position.

It didn't matter for the outcome. Hoover lined a single off the glove of former Phillie Wes Helms to end the Phillies last game of the regular season as reigning 2008 World Champions, 7-6.

As I said, this game was played like an exhibition. Charlie Manuel was auditioning pitchers for the playoff roster. He churned through eight of them - two more than an official Phillies scorecard can hold.

J.A. Happ started and was taken out after two innings. He was relieved by Kyle Kendrick, who pitched OK. He went 2 1/3 innings of hitless ball before walking pitcher Josh Johnson, which led to a two-run inning.

Brett Myers, possibly making his last appearance ever as a Phillie, started the 6th. He struck out the leadoff hitter, but was removed when he walked the next guy.

Sergio Escalona also pitched well in his last-minute push to make the playoff roster with just 14 major league games under his belt.

Phillies offense: They couldn't muster a hit off Josh Johnson until Miguel Cairo (Chase who?) led off the 4th with a home run. I was trying to convince Christine to root for the no-no because I really want to see one, and this one would have an asterisk because the Phillies didn't field a competent lineup.

(We've seen Johnson pitch twice this year - the same amount we've seen Jamie Moyer. We've seen Happ, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton and Antonio Bastardo each start once.)

Cairo later tripled in the 8th and scored on an overthrow to tie the game. ... Stat-minded Werth stole two bases in the 4th, giving him 20 for the season. ... Stat-minded Ben Francisco was caught stealing three times today. Maybe he's not so stat-minded.

Observations from the stands: The anthem was sung by the Central Bucks West High School Choir, directed by Joseph Ohrt. Not bad, but we've heard it before. ... The crowd was so indifferent early on that Helms wasn't booed during introductions. Only one guy yelled "Phillies reject" when he came to bat. Also during introductions, they played "Under the Sea" for the Marlins. ... Like Lou Marson on last year's Fan Appreciation Day, they played Pat Burrell's old Holy Diver, this time for Andy Tracy's intro music.

The Phanatic rehashed his streaking skit when it was announced that his jersey was one of many giveaways on Fan Appreciation Day. ... Kudos to the Phillies: They seemed to give out a larger number of prizes this year and did a much better job of spreading them around to the upper sections (it seemed like every section in the 400 level won something, except ours). ... Comcast SportsNet employee Josh Schrager sang God Bless America.

A guy in front of me at the newsstand, wearing a Pat Burrell jersey, jorts and Phillies socks, bought Chris Wheeler's book. I probably shouldn't comment beyond noting my observations.

Before heading off to see whether the new 2009 flag will hang with the 2008 and 1980 World Champions, 1983 and 1993 League Champions, or relegated to mere division champs such as 2007, 1981 and 1976-1978, a couple of Phillies players (Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins) helped the Phanatic toss T-shirts and balls into the stands after the game, in further appreciation of us. We moved down and came close to some of the throws, but walked away with nothing but our memories ... and this picture someone took for us after asking us to take a picture of her.

I like it, but I'm biased.

Antiquated Phillies jerseys: We sat in the last row of the whole stadium and didn't see too many, but we made up for it in obscurity with David Bell and Robinson Tejeda. We also saw the obligatory Burrell, Jim Thome, Scott Rolen and Aaron Rowand.

Red Sox: In the last game before Jon Lester opens the ALDS in Anaheim, the Red Sox beat the Indians 12-7. Clay Buchholz gave up six runs in three innings, adding to my concern about the state of our pitching entering the playoffs, which don't start for me until Thursday. That's in a friggin' week. And I haven't mentioned that they're starting West Coast time, not Greg time.

Christine's not happy either. Her first two games are at 2:30 p.m. on weekdays, and her third will also be geared toward the West Coast.

We'll save the playoff rants for tomorrow while we watch the Twins and Tigers battle it out for the right to issue the Yankees an embarrassing first-round exit.