The original Chris Coste

***Preface: I had this post planned before news broke that Chris Coste said he has agreed to a deal with the Mets. So until you finish reading this post, please pretend that Coste isn't an enemy.***

Before there was Chris Coste, there was Steve Fireovid.

Coste kicked around the minors for years, refusing to give up on his dreams of being a major league ball player until he beat the odds and became a rookie at 33 years old and a World Champion two years later.

Fireovid's story is a bit different. Like Coste, he never really got a fair shake, but he made it to the majors at age 24. But he never stuck, tossing 65 innings over five seasons for four teams, including the Phillies.

The similarity with Coste is that he refused to give up, making it back to the majors. And he wrote a book about it. In The 26th Man, Fireovid chronicles his 1990 season, which he thought would be his last, pitching for the AAA Expos.

I've read the book before, but decided to reread it recently. I'm glad I did. It's a gripping account of how a man who knows he won't get another chance at 33 years old never gives up. It's a nice look at the workings of baseball with the reminders that the game doesn't always reward the most able or hardest-working players. Sometimes the hot-shot draft pick gets preferential treatment, even though, as Fireovid constantly notes, the difference in talent between AAA players and major leaguers isn't that great.

I've been meaning to reread this book since I read Coste's The 33-Year-Old Rookie, which was first reviewed on this blog by Christine.

I think I liked Fireovid's book better - it seems more down to earth, personable and matter-of-fact. But I might be biased against the soon-to-be Met.

Incidentally, it's been several years since I read this book, and I had forgotten that he was a Phillie. Fireovid said he had a good spring in 1983 and was included in the team photo, but was sent down to the minors on the last day of spring training after a trade, which would have created room for him, fell through. Sounds just like one of the many events to stymie Coste's career.

I would love to know how Fireovid's life turned out. A Google search yielded nothing other than the book.

More bad news: Sports Illustrated is officially irrelevant, naming Derek Jeter its sportsman of the year. I think even Grady Sizemore would have been a better pic. {This is how he's been spending his time? Thanks, Grady. See if I pick you for MVP. Again.}

Christine's new favorite former Phillie

Christine likes horses. They're definitely among her top five favorite animals.

Christine loves the Phillies. They're definitely among her top five favorite baseball teams. OK, they're her most favorite team.

So, clearly she was happy to read about former Phillie Dan Plesac and how he saved his former racehorse from the slaughterhouse. Plesac learned the racehorse he owned 12 years ago, Captain Zoom, who is presumably a fan of both the Phillies and fillies, was ailing. Plesac decided to pitch in and provide a better retirement:

"We can come up with a million excuses not to do things," Plesac said. "I couldn't have gone to bed at night knowing that I came up with a lame excuse not to take him."

The only sad part of this tale for Christine is that on our last two trips - Savannah and Lancaster - we took horse-drawn tours. In Savannah, she noticed one horse kept pulling his cart with his head down, as if he were downtrodden.

I had assured her that the horses were well taken care of, but the story says part of Captain Zoom's suffering came from pulling an Amish buggy:

He had marks from a harness collar around his neck. He also had lacerations all over his body from what appeared to be a fall on the road and fights in the pasture.

But thanks to the former Phillie, he won't have to worry about that anymore:

"When I look at him out there eating grass, all I can think is, 'You hit the lottery, big boy,'" Plesac said. "We both did."

Incidentally, the story appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer. It was written by a freelancer, Nicole Kraft, executive editor of Hoof Beats Magazine - a publication of the United States Trotting Association. Who else would write a horse-centric story about Dan Plesac?

Awkward transition: Dan Plesac works for MLB Network. He was an All-Star from 1987-1989. All weekend, the network has been running marathons of All-Star games.

I can think of only two words: Thank you.

Christine aptly described it as TV crack for me, and it's so true. I saw Ricky Bottalico represent the Phillies at Veterans Stadium's last All-Star game in 1996, Bob Costas say that Alex Rodriguez can still grow into his body, and how the biggest stars of my youth don't look so big compared with the stars of today.

I wonder why? Christine also wondered why the 2002 All-Star game wasn't in MLB's rotation.

Other than that omission, this was the perfect use of the year-old network. This is supposed to be what ESPN Classic is for, but that channel lost its way with poker, bowling and rodeo. Although the late-night cheesy professional wrestling is a nice touch.

And the winner is ...

Me.

Humbly.

I hope no one accuses us of rigging the ballots because last year Christine was a co-winner of the inaugural SoxandPhils prediction challenge, and this year, after careful collaboration among the judges (me, myself and I), the crown goes to me!

I was the only one who correctly predicted three division winners (Phillies, Dodgers and Angels), and I was the only one with a correct award winner (Tim Lincecum). I wasn't the only one predicting a repeat pennant for the Phillies, but I was the only one who saw them losing the big dance.

Everyone else pegged three of the eight playoff teams, but all had a division winner slotted for a wild card (Christine - Dodgers; last year's other winner Brian - Angels; Joe Wolf's Vertical Jump - Yankees; and Endy in the Outfield - Twins).

Tidbits: Kudos to Joe Wolf for calling the Marlins this year's Rays. ... Brian, Christine and I had Papi as the next guy to be revealed as a roider, but Sammy Sosa beat him to it. ... Christine's picks for AL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, Elvis Andrus and Felix Hernandez, both came in second. ... No one picked perennial NL MVP Albert Pujols to win the award. ... All of the managers we predicted would be fired first - Ozzie Guillen, Joe Girardi and Jim Leyland - are still employed.

Tough to decide whether the Mets (with their litany of injuries) or the Red Sox with the most direct link (Daisuke Matsuzaka) should be credited with the title of the team whose disappointing finish would be blamed on the World Baseball Classic. Christine and I predicted the Mets - no one took the Red Sox.

Nothing more to say. I'm grateful for the honor. It feels good to win something again, and I look forward to defending my crown next year.

Oh yeah, sorry again about Pablo Sandoval.

SoxandPhils extends sponsorship of Ken Ryan

SOXANDPHILSVILLLE, N.J. -- SoxandPhils, the leading blog dedicated to the 2008 and 2007 World Champion Phillies and Red Sox, proudly announces that it has extended the sponsorship of Ken Ryan's Baseball-Reference page for another year.

"Negotiations were tough but fair, and we're thrilled to bring back Ken Ryan for another year," SoxandPhils co-owner and lead writer Greg said. "There is no other player who better captures the spirit of SoxandPhils - at least none other whose page we can afford."

Ryan has been a SoxandPhils favorite since he told Phillies Magazine that his favorite teams are the Red Sox and Phillies - the only teams he played for in his eight-year major league career. He compiled a record of 14-16 and 30 saves with a 3.91 ERA in 285.2 innings from 1992 to 1999.

He was traded from the Red Sox to the Phillies on Jan. 29, 1996, with Glenn Murray and Lee Tinsely for Larry Wimberly, Rick Holyfield and Heathcliff Slocumb, the only other officially sponsored SoxandPhil.

Ryan joined the SoxandPhils family last year as a Christmas gift to Greg from Christine, SoxandPhils co-owner and head of editing and marketing.

"I knew Greg would get a kick out of it, but I didn't think he would have gone this nuts with it," she said.

Thanksgiving update

A year ago, Christine and I started a new tradition of going to a diner on Thanksgiving Eve. We had a nice evening, and I remember really enjoying last year's holiday weekend for no particular reason.

In last year's Thanksgiving post (spent mostly griping about the dearth of good football games), I briefly mentioned things to be grateful for: "family and friends, health, jobs, our successful baseball teams, etc."

Little did I suspect that my semi-successful journalism career would be over in a few days and our teams would succumb to the Yankees. Health, family and friends, thankfully, remain status quo.

Obviously, I'm doing a lot of introspection and looking back right now, and last night Christine and I found some rather amusing posts from November and December that are either ironic or just way off target.

Like when we mocked the Yankees and Mets for signing CC Sabathia and Francisco Rodriguez: "So let the New Yorkers enjoy their early Christmas presents. We at the home of the World Series Champions know that Phanta Claus delivers the real goodies in October."

Oops.

How about these bold proclamations: Signing Raul Ibanez was a mistake, and Mark Teixeira was going to join the Red Sox.

That's why you should always take my prognostications with a grain of salt.

Finally, this doesn't really fit into the category, but it was sad remembering Mike Radano's last blog post. He was never my favorite Phillies beat writer, but that could be my bias against his former newspaper. It was sad that the fans lost another connection with the team immediately after it reached the pinnacle and almost got there again this year.

Sorry to be a downer; my personality doesn't let me completely forget what was or can no longer be. I do have much to be grateful for: I'm re-employed, I'm as healthy as I can be, our family is happy, and our friends, while few, remain true.

And, most of all, I have the love and support of the best companion, editor, Phillies phan, caretaker and confidant I could imagine.

Big acquisitions

Everyone is agog that the Red Sox are in a "full-court press" to make Roy Halladay next in the impressive line of Red Sox aces acquired by trade (Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, etc.), but I don't think it will happen.

As Sean McAdam notes:

A deal for Halladay would likely require the Sox to part with Clay Buchholz and also either Daniel Bard or Casey Kelly -- or both. Together, those three represent the most talented pitching prospects in the system, leaving the Sox with little organizational depth.

It's far more likely, said a source familiar with the Red Sox' plans, that the team pursues free agent John Lackey (left). The Boston Herald reported last week that general manager Theo Epstein met with the agent for Lackey at the GM meetings earlier this month.

Going after a Type A veteran starter in some ways goes against the Red Sox philosophy, since Epstein believes that signing 30-something pitching is a tremendous risk. The list of big-ticket free agent starters signed to disastrous deals (Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt, Carlos Zambrano) is a long one and the Sox are said to be particularly wary of a similar misstep.

But given the choice between sacrificing a handful of young -- and inexpensive -- prospects and extending Halladay to a multiyear deal, or forfeiting only a draft pick and a big contract for Lackey, the latter is far more appealing to the Sox.

I thought we were done talking about Doc once the Phillies made the wise choice to get Cliff Lee instead.

The Roy Halladay rumors overshadowed the big news of the day: minor acquisitions! The Phillies, lacking a backup catcher, re-signed third-stringer Paul Hoover and three other minor leaguers. The Red Sox traded for Tug Hulett, son of former major leaguer Tim Hulett, whose family has a tragic story.

To finish on another down note, Jamie Moyer was hospitalized with recurring symptoms from his surgery.

News!

Last night, hours after I suggested that the Phillies beat writers have been neglecting their blogs, Todd Zolecki posted an update on Phillies prospects in fall and winter ball. He must read our blog.

The rest of the pack followed him today with news that Ryan Howard finished 3rd in MVP voting - Chase Utley, Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino also got votes - and that the Phillies will sign Ramon Castro to replace Eric Bruntlett.

Why? He's 37, and he can't hit. Basically, he's Eric Bruntlett in six years. I have no problem jettisoning the guy who turned an unassisted triple play, but I don't understand doing so just to bring in an equally crappy player.

David Murphy tries to explain it:

For an idea of how slim the pickings are in that department, consider Omar Vizquel, another veteran short stop who was a free agent. Over his last two seasons, Vizquel's numbers aren't a whole lot different than Castro's. Castro hit .227 with a .569 OPS in 298 plate appearances for the Reds, Orioles and Dodgers. Vizquel hit .239 with a .594 OPS in 595 plate appearances for the Giants and Rangers. Vizquel recently signed a one year deal with the White Sox for a reported $1.375 million, which is nearly double the $700,000 that Castro earned with the Dodgers last season.

Last year, manager Charlie Manuel said he would love to have a bench player who might fill in for Chase Utley without presenting much of an offensive drop off. Castro would not seem to be that player, but I don't think the Phillies are looking at him as such.Keep in mind that two candidates to replace Pedro Feliz at third base are Placido Polanco and Mark DeRosa, both of whom have played extensively at second base. And while the Phillies do not view Greg Dobbs as an everyday third baseman, they do contend - at least publicly - that they are comfortable starting him there occasionally. Last year, Dobbs hit .309 with a .829 OPS in the 28 games in which he started.

OK, so maybe this makes sense if they sign a second baseman to play third. No, that really doesn't make much sense either.

At least Castro's agent, Oscar Suarez, is good at the spin:

"Who doesn't like the Phillies as an organization?" Suarez said. "You want to win. And who doesn't like Juan Castro? You want to have a superb utility man to back up the guys you have up the middle. We're trying to put this thing together. I think we're going to get it done."

He's even benching Jimmy Rollins:

"If you look at the Phillies, they have a hell of an organization," Suarez said. "And they probably need a guy who can play shortstop if Jimmy Rollins needs a day off or he gets thrown out of a game or he needs a break at the end of a game. It makes a lot of sense. When you're a veteran player you want to win. That's why he is enjoying the Dodgers. The last two years for the Phillies speak for itself."

I know, way too much thought for a backup infielder on a team that has won the last two NL pennants.

Red Sox writers state the obvious

The Red Sox beat writers must be out of their mind with boredom. They're so bored that they decided to vote on awarding the obvious: Jonathan Papelbon is the 2009 Red Sox Fireman of the Year, as voted by the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. (I guess, like the national awards, the postseason doesn't count.)

Daniel Bard was selected top Red Sox rookie, beating out stiff competition such as Junichi Tazawa, Josh Reddick and Michael Bowden.

I heard about some winners that haven't officially been announced yet: Santa Claus will be named the jolliest big man at the North Pole, Fenway will be named best 90-year-old major league ballpark in Boston and the Phillie Phanatic, in a close contest against Smiley, the Hatfield pig, was named best mascot at Citizens Bank Park.

Man is this offseason slow.

So slow, in fact, the Phillies beat writers are playing a game of chicken to see who can go the longest without an editor demanding they update their blogs. Through Monday evening, Andy Martino leads, having last posted on Tuesday (but he did do a chat on Wednesday); Todd Zolecki's last post was Wednesday, while David Murphy and Scott Lauber each posted Thursday.

Trade-bait Clay

When you root for an out-of-market team whose reporters haven't been writing much, it's a bit jarring to learn that one of your best prospects who seemingly proved himself this year is on the trading block again. I feel like I've been asleep for weeks.

There was never a question of young Clay's ability - just whether or not he would mature into a reliable major league starter. Because of a tantalizing arm that threw a no-hitter in his second major league start at 22 years old, Buchholz has often been linked in trades for big names such as Victor Martinez, Johan Santana and Roy Halladay.

It's been a tough debate whether to keep him or hold him, but I think the last half of the season proved that young Clay will be able to anchor a staff really soon. The best part is that he seems to have learned that he still has much to learn:

As much as the Red Sox like him, he knows he could be shipped out at a moment's notice if the right deal comes along.

Which would be a shame, because it appears he has barely scratched the surface of his enormous talent.

"I'm so far from mastering anything, it's unbelievable," Buchholz said in a recent conversation. "Some days it just clicks, and that goes for anybody. It's like a hitter; some days the ball looks like a beach ball, and some days it looks like a golf ball. You want it to be clicking more times than not, but some days it's just not there."

You could have convinced me to roll the dice on a Buchholz deal before this year, but not anymore. I wouldn't do it even under Nick Cafardo's scenario, which hinges on the Red Sox signing John Lackey then trading their blossoming ace for one of the big bats on the market: Adrian Gonzalez or Miguel Cabrera.

But then again, if Theo Epstein had asked me whether he should trade Nomar Garciaparra for Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera, I would have said no.

Is Chone Figgins coming to town?

It's believed that the Phillies and Chone Figgins would be a perfect match. The Phillies offer just as good of a chance at a championship as any other team. And they have a gaping hole at third base and could use the higher on-base percentage out of the leadoff slot that Figgins would provide.

But it's also believed that the Phillies don't want to spend what Figgins will command, in hopes of saving some cash to re-sign Cliff Lee next year.

If that's the only hang-up: problem solved.

Seriously, I will grumble about the Phillies raising prices at Citizens Bank Park during poor economic times, but then I'll think of the ridiculous prices New Yorkers have to pay to watch their pathetically bombastic teams and be grateful.

And if Figgins does leave the Angels for the Phillies or another team, he can gain some insight about leaving a long-time team from one of our favorites, Doug Glanville, who has another must-read piece in the New York Times about how the first leg of his Phillies career ended.

Spinning sabermetrics

Often, I enjoy the art of the argument more than the actual content in the debate. I appreciate the creativity of trying to convince someone of something they don't want to believe.

After yesterday's posting on the Cy Young awards and assessing Cole Hamels, consider these pieces by a stathead and traditionalist. Decide which one is sincere and which one is satire:

First:

So I pictured that shredded repository of all that is Scriptural about baseball, the lengthened shadow of fine print that comprises its history and greatness ...

And I muttered, "Look at how they've massacred our record book."

The only group walking the Earth scarier than the Global-Warmingistas are the Pitch-Countniks.

Second:

Yesterday was a seminal day in baseball history. When it was announced that Chris Carpenter finished second in the National League Cy Young voting despite not being named on two ballots - yes, two whole ballots - the game of baseball was irreparably changed, and not for the better. It may be hard to recognize at first but, sometime soon, we'll be looking back on this Thursday in the same way that we now look back on Opening Day 1947 or the first time Derek Jeter's dreamy smile graced the covers of the New York tabloids. I mean, this is important stuff.

The former was a piece by Bill Conlin, the crusty guy at the Daily News who I can barely read. I actually read this one, however, dumbfounded that someone would still have such an attitude without no reservations. The latter is a good spoof from Wezen-Ball that were Conlin to read it, he'd probably think it were a serious and legitimate piece of journalism.

So who won this debate without even having to break out a sophisticated mathematical formula?

Today's news: Nothing much going on in SoxandPhils-ville, but I wonder whether Christine finished buying my Christmas gifts.

Slinging sabermetrically

With the Cy Young awards going to the league's best pitchers, Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum, instead of ones with gaudier win-loss records, statheads are cautiously celebrating that it appears sports writers are finally starting to look beyond conventional wisdom and gut feelings to use all the information available to make informed judgments.

As Fangraphs blogger Dave Cameron notes, it's too soon to say that these votes represent the end of the old school, but they do show signs of an evolution:

Today, the BBWAA took a pretty big step back towards credibility. It obviously isn't a wholesale change, and there are always going to be people resistant to any sort of change, but the shift is taking place. And it's a welcome occurrence.

And I do have a SoxandPhils point to these votes - besides a gratuitous mention that I correctly predicted Lincecum's win. This morning, Scott Lauber, using Greinke's awareness of modern statistics as a hook, noted that Cole Hamels wasn't as bad as he was perceived:

Hamels posted a 4.32 ERA in 32 regular-season starts, but according to The Hardball Times, his (Fielding Independent Pitching) was only 3.71, nearly identical to his 3.70 FIP in 2008. Obviously, Hamels was far better in 2008, posting a 3.09 ERA in 33 starts, allowing fewer hits (193 in 2008, 206 in 2009) and logging more innings (227.1 in 2008, 193.2 in 2009). But maybe, as Manuel and Dubee often have said, Hamels' stuff was nearly as good as it was in 2008. There were other factors that caused his demise.

Remembering all the grief Hamels took in recent months, you'd think this observation would be earth-shattering, but it has been pointed out by sabermetricians since the summer. Here's what David Golebiewski posted on Fangraphs back in July:

The 25 year-old changeup artist might have troubling surface numbers, but he’s arguably pitching better than he did during that magical 2008 season.

When I mentioned this to Christine this morning, she questioned why I kept saying he had a poor season. I admit, I fall into the trap of not looking at, or even understanding, the more sophisticated statistics.

I don't understand statistics, but I have a healthy respect for those who do. I appreciate what they're saying and understand that things that I think are true may not be so. Hopefully, sports writers, who should view considering new metrics as part of their job, are starting to have a similar attitude.

Red Sox: Despite the blaring headlines, I don't think it means anything that Jason Bay rejected the initial Red Sox offer, reportedly $60 million over four years, and will be able to take offers from other teams in a few hours. Bay's agent and GM Theo Epstein remain civil:

"Nothing will happen by day's end, but we'll keep talking," Bay's agent Joe Urbon said.

"It's not a surprise that a player that's gone this far wants to see what's out there," Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said by phone in Bay's regard, though Epstein declined comment on the team's talks with Bay.

David Ortiz, meanwhile, wants Bay back along with another player with power. Perhaps because he hasn't hit more than 30 homers in a season since 2007?

"I said that like a year ago and everybody was looking at me like I was a (expletive) clown. You know? I said we needed another 30-home run hitter. Everybody was talking trash. There you go. Now what?" he said.

He spoke today to promote his charity golf outing that will feature several Sox: Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Lowell, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield and Terry Francona.

And Phils: Pedro Martinez, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard.

Speculatin'

Baseball writers throughout the country again snubbed Charlie Manuel for Manager of the Year while our teams' scribes have been busy posturing potential player acquisitions.

Terry Francona spoke today (it seems like a long time since we've heard anything from the Red Sox) and discussed his wish list. It sounds like he wants Jason Bay back and additional pitching - but his comments about John Lackey convinced me that the Red Sox are not pursuing the free agent:

Every year, there's a couple guys that seem like they can sway the fortunes of an organization. I think he's that type of pitcher. Now, to get that type of pitcher, you're going to have to make quite a commitment. That's something that makes our organization a little bit uneasy. It doesn't mean a guy can't come in and help you win, but if there's an injury along the way, that can set your organization back quite a bit. So there's a lot to think about besides just the year 2010. You're possibly talking about 2015. That's a lot of years.

Funny, they weren't too uneasy about paying more than $100 million to acquire and retain Daisuke Matsuzaka.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, jettisoned George Kottaras and were linked to Braves free agents Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano.

The Phillies seem to be all over the place. Todd Zolecki says they're the front-runners for Mark DeRosa - I don't want him, but I didn't know he went to high school near where I grew up. Chan Ho Park's agent says despite the player's stated preference of starting, a role in The Pen II wouldn't preclude Chan Ho from returning to the Phillies. And David Murphy has a litany of bench options the Phillies may consider.

I have bad feelings about the offseasons for both our teams. I don't know why. {Let's hope Greg is wrong about this prediction, too.}

Another (possibly premature) goodbye to Matt Stairs

Last year, I was convinced that Matt Stairs, the hero of Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS and lover of ass pounding, would be jettisoned because Geoff Jenkins had a bigger contract and was better defensively.

I was wrong.

The big lug suffered through a poor season, including 30 at-bats without a hit from July 17 to Sept. 8, that probably doesn't warrant another year for the 41-year-old. We were surprised that he was included on the playoff roster this year.

Although his brief Phillies career will be part of the team's lore, he probably doesn't deserve anything more than the non-roster spring training invite that Ruben Amaro will offer him, especially because the the team wants a more versatile bench:

"Ideally, you would like to have as many defensive options as you can with guys," Amaro said today. "Versatility plays. Matt Stairs was a specialty guy."

I'm pretty sure we've seen the last of Matt Stairs, a true SoxandPhil, good guy and character. The only thing that makes me think he may be back is that Charlie Manuel is big on giving guys a chance to compete for positions. If Stairs has a big spring, you know Cholly won't hesitate to bring him back to Philly.

Huge news

After several days devoid of any good SoxandPhils news, the incredible has happened: The Inquirer's beat writer, Andy Martino, has updated his blog. Yes, after 10 days the idle blog is no more.

Of course, it took something momentous to rouse the sleeping writer. The big news? As Todd Zolecki reported before Martino, J.A. Happ didn't win Rookie of the Year. As I predicted, the award went to a Marlins outfielder. OK, I had Cameron Maybin, not Chris Coghlan, the winner. I can't complain with the choice, but Christine will, especially because I told her in the preseason that Pablo Sandoval would still qualify as a rookie this year. I apologize again.

Of more pressing concern, one of the most vital members of the 2008 World Champions will not be back. There wasn't a blockbuster trade involving Cole Hamels or Brad Lidge, but Eric Bruntlett has been removed from the 40-man roster. We'll always fondly recall how the utility infielder just sort of became Pat Burrell's late-inning defensive outfield replacement last year.

We'll never forget his unassisted triple play against the Mets this season or his unlikely heroic moments during last year's playoffs - including scoring the last run that cinched the championship.

"Everyone hammers him, but he's one of my all-time favorite scrubby Phillies," Christine said. "He was scrubby, but I'll remember him in a good way."

Christine is also saddened that Tyler Walker is not going to be back.

"I just want to know what happened with him," Christine said. We thought he was one of the Phillies more effective relievers and can't figure out why he wasn't on the playoff roster or why he's getting the boot.

Oh well, tomorrow Jon Lester will get the first of what will be many Cy Young awards. I know, it's Zack Greinke's award, but it's all Lester in 2010.

Offseason blahs

With the GM meetings concluded and still more than a month to go before Christmas, this is the first weekend that the offseason really dragged for me.

There is nothing going on. I mean, sure, Andy Martino hasn't updated his blog in more than a week now, but there were no stories in either the Boston Globe or Philadelphia Inquirer today. Not even a lame feature on what the Phanatic is doing for the holidays.

Even Christmas shopping provided bitter reminders of how the season ended. While looking at some doggie clothes (just browsing, we would never buy clothes for a dog, even if we had one), among the Phillies and Red Sox shirts was one that said 2008 World Champions, almost jeering at us that there was no need for a 2009 version.

At another store, amid the piles of books, there were ones recapping the Yankees championship. Christine flipped them over and put a different book on top of them. Reason No. 1,503,303 why I love her.

I can't even get a respite in Sports Illustrated. Every other advertisement in the magazine is congratulating them. I don't remember another champion getting treated like this. Money talks, I guess.

One beat writer is still working: In Scott Lauber's Sunday column, he offers a little disconcerting insight into the Phillies third base situation. Basically, they want to wait out the market and pick up whoever is left - kind of like getting a Christmas tree from a picked-over lot on Christmas Eve:

When they analyzed the market for third basemen, the Phillies envisioned a game of musical chairs in which there seemingly aren't enough spots for each player, a conclusion that led them to decide not to buy out their $5.5 million option on Pedro Feliz's contract.

"We could've misread the market," Amaro said, "but we just feel like there are more third basemen available than there are positions to be filled."

Great, I can't wait to see what scrawny little tree is manning third base next year. I know, I should relax and give the Phillies front office the credit it has earned during the past few seasons.

[Photo credit: Wikipedia]

Apologies to J-Roll

On Thursday, I pointed to a Fangraphs post that said Jimmy Rollins was one of the most average players in baseball this season.

Today, the same Fangraphs blogger, Matt Klaassen, is back on the subject of Jimmy Rollins. This time, it's debating whether J-Roll is overrated. To me, J-Roll has also been the type of player who gets over- and underrated, depending on whom is doing the rating. Klaassen comes to a pretty fair conclusion:

Over the last three seasons (including 2009), Rollins has accumulated 14.4 wins, making him "only" the 17th most valuable position player in that period according to FanGraphs' WAR. Whose company is he in? Ichiro Suzuki is at 15.0, only half-a-win away (practically nothing over three years). Derek Jeter is Mr. Overrated Guys Bloggers Love To Whine About, and he's the same as Ichiro. Ryan Zimmerman has been exactly as valuable. Grady Sizemore has been ever-so-slightly less valuable; is he a hack? How about Lance Berkman or Adrian Gonzalez?

Look, Rollins shouldn't have won the 2007 NL MVP, when he wasn't even the best player on his own team (ahem). Again, I don't know exactly who's been doing the "rating." But if you ask me (and you didn't), it's tough to imagine that a guy who's been about as good as Ichiro!, Jeter, Zimmerman, Grady Sizemore, Big Puma, and A-Gon over the last three years deserves the "overrated" label.

I agree with this assessment of Jimmy Rollins. I don't think he's the greatest player in the world, but I wouldn't have minded him stabilizing the Red Sox shortstop situation over the years.

News and lack thereof: It's so slow that the only story in the papers is that the Red Sox may pursue John Lackey. Yeah, that's about as likely to happen as the Phillies trading for Ryan Zimmerman to plug their third base hole.

Cole opens his trap

We keep Game 5 of the 2008 World Series (both the start and the conclusion) on DVR. I watched a few innings tonight and was reminded how confident, dominating and at-ease Cole Hamels was in an environment that has chewed up many young pitchers.

It seemed so easy for young Cole during last year's playoffs. It was like the game was his own personal toy, and it looked like the only questions left were how many championships and Cy Young awards were in his future.

It was quite a contrast with this year's playoff run when fans didn't even want him on the mound.

But have no fear, young Cole has learned his lesson. He's no longer going to be preoccupied with being a celebrity. He's going to focus on his job:

You know, I lived and learned a valuable lesson in what it takes to be even more of a celebrity than an actual athlete so you know it's just something I'm gonna take in strides and push towards the next level of being the best athlete I possibly can versus being the best celebrity or the most popular celebrity.

Great. The Phillies blew a chance to repeat and continue the Yankees championship drought because Cole wanted to be popular.

Part of Cole's PR problem is that he has a little (I'm really sorry I have to say this) Alex Rodriguez in him - trying too hard to say or do the right things and winding up making things worse.

I'm sure when Cole said that quote, in his mind he thought he was saying the right thing: I'm sorry I was unprepared this season. It will not happen again. Other than my family, my sole focus will be on being the best pitcher I can be to help win another championship for our great fans.

Unfortunately, he dropped a poisonous word - celebrity - that is bound to further alienate Cole with the fans who still haven't forgiven him for his mediocre season and disastrous postseason, which he admitted could not end soon enough.

Without Cole, the Phillies would be going on 30 years without a championship, so he's earned some benefit of the doubt, but he should really watch his act or his championship performance will be overshadowed by his attitude.

By the way, thanks to new philly.com blog, Pattison Ave. for catching Cole's interview on Comcast SportsNet. Hopefully its authors don't wait days or weeks between posts, unlike Andy Martino, who hasn't blogged in a week.

Mr. Congeniality

I don't quite understand the metrics involved, but this Fangraphs post lists the players whose 2009 season was closest to the average for all of baseball.

It's a list no superstar wants to be on, which is why I took some glee for Christine when I read No. 3 - Aaron Rowand. The smugness subsided when I got to No. 2 on the list, former MVP Jimmy Rollins.

I'm sure J-Roll isn't happy with the ranking, but I guess it's better than where he was in July when Jayson Stark picked him as the league's least valuable player.

At least he pulled himself up from dead weight to mediocre. Yeah!

Silver Sluggers: Chase Utley and Jason Bay were honored today for their batsmanship at their respective positions.

Tonight: Assuming there would be no major SoxandPhils news tonight, we attended a preview of Pirate Radio. It rocked. I won the tickets, and a couple of goodies, from a Philadelphia Inquirer contest.

Gold Gloves for Christmas

Only two SoxandPhils won Gold Gloves this year, meaning Chase Utley, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis got hosed.

To be fair, Rob Neyer, whose assessments I trust on these things, said Jimmy Rollins didn't deserve his third straight gold glove and that Shane Victorino may not have earned his second trophy.

But being a partisan blog, we'll focus on the praise, such as these plaudits heaped on Utley followed by some backhanded love for Shane-O on the end:

This year, the voters returned to Hudson, once again spurning Utley, who still doesn't have a Gold Glove despite being arguably the league's top defensive second baseman for five seasons running. And not over the last five seasons; I mean in each of the last five seasons.

Who cares, right? Well, someday Utley's going to be on a Hall of Fame ballot, and at least a few voters will say, "Gosh, I love the guy's hitting stats, but why didn't he win any Gold Gloves?"

The answer isn't that Utley wasn't a great fielder; the answer is that the Gold Glove voters just weren't paying attention.

Speaking of which, I'm not sure what to say about Matt Kemp and Shane Victorino. Kemp gets bonus points because he's a good hitter and he's fast and he's got a good arm, with the only problem being that Kemp doesn't make a particularly large number of plays, which is sort of the point of the thing.

Victorino didn't make a great number of plays this season, either. But one can almost forgive the voters, because Victorino was solid last season (when he won his first Gold Glove) and even better in 2007 as a right fielder. Players typically peak early as fielders, but Victorino's (apparent) decline has been precipitous, and I have a hard time holding the voters responsible for tracking Victorino.

In the American League, the Red Sox were shut out, much to Neyer's consternation:

Shockingly, the voters selected MVP candidates Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Jeter, all of whom were probably solid defensively but might not have been the best fielders in the league (my choices at those positions were Gerald Laird, Kevin Youkilis, and Elvis Andrus). At second base, the voters chose Placido Polanco because he made only two errors all season. Polanco is a pretty good second baseman, but nowhere near as good as Dustin Pedroia, who won the award last year (and, coincidentally enough, was also the American League's MVP).

Stupid Yankees. Speaking of which, I went Christmas shopping today. It was very sad and disturbing to see all the Yankees championship gear. Unlike the last two Christmases, there will be no championship garb under our tree this year, but we'll probably see some disgusting trinkets when we visit the family.

I'm pleased with my shopping. I have a feeling Santa will remember which team Christine roots for.

Today's news: Jason Varitek will be back to back up Victor Martinez. ... Some delusional Japanese media think the Red Sox offered Hideki Matsui a contract. I don't believe it for a moment. ... And, while Pedro Martinez remains on the back burner, the Phillies may target Fernando Rodney for the beleaguered bullpen.

Big trade speculation

After reading Jim Salisbury's very speculative piece that the Phillies may revisit the Roy Halladay trade negotiations, a thought occurred to me this morning: Might the Phillies package a deal around - gasp - Cole Hamels?

Management seems to be down on him, and including him in a deal would presumably mitigate the Blue Jays' demand for Kyle Drabek or one of the top outfield prospects.

Salisbury's story didn't mention this possibility, but while I was driving to work, Randy Miller, of the Bucks County Times, was on WIP with the same speculation I had. He had a couple of caveats, however, chiefly that if the Phillies acquired Halladay, they might have to cut payroll elsewhere, meaning Joe Blanton could be gone.

He did say the Phillies are fed up with Hamels for failing to develop a third pitch or learn from veteran lefties Jamie Moyer and Cliff Lee. He thinks they will definitely listen to offers for the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP, although they will be quiet about it because these megadeals rarely pan out and the Phillies are worried about Cole's fragile psyche if he learns he was placed on the trading block.

It's an interesting thought. My gut reaction is I wouldn't do it, but the Phillies may have more insight on whether Hamels can fulfill his promise in Philadelphia. If he can't, there are worse replacements than Doc.

While my perception was keen on the Hamels and Halladay speculation, I missed big time on the real implications behind the Red Sox announcing that Victor Martinez will be the starting catcher next year. That wasn't just about displacing Jason Varitek, but also signaling that V-Mart will not be at first base because the Sox may really go after Adrian Gonzalez.

It's no secret that the Red Sox have been looking for a corner infielder, especially with prospect Lars Anderson regressing this year, and the Padres are a team they have always been comfortable dealing with. Negotiations should go even better now that former Sox staffer Jed Hoyer is the GM in San Diego.

To further flame inane offseason SoxandPhils speculation is this tidbit that suggests the Red Sox may add nearly $50 million in payroll. I don't think there's that much talent available.

A tale of two veterans

Often in sports, we hear that teams show no loyalty to their aging players or that the players value money over team loyalty.

Granted, it's a rare example, but we never hear much praise when both team and player do right by each other. Tim Wakefield wants to keep pitching for the Red Sox. The Red Sox want to keep him on their team. Wakefield only cares about a contract that guarantees he'll stay in Boston as long as he's able to pitch. The Red Sox wanted a little monetary assurance in case he is unable to keep pitching at an All-Star level.

Hence, they scrapped the perpetual $4 million contract in lieu of a two-year guaranteed deal with incentives that could net Wakefield nearly as much as the original deal. Wake said he will retire after this contract:

They actually came to me with a two-year. We were wondering they were going to pick up the option again and this kind of negates that. I think this is a fair deal. If I’m healthy, I’ll be able to make about as much as I did the other years. In essence, they gave me a two-year deal and that’s a huge plus for me.

Things look less clear with another long-time Red Sox, Jason Varitek. The team, to no one's surprise, declined the captain's $5 million option. He has five days to decide whether to accept his $3 million option.

I was surprised that he did not accept arbitration last year; I would be shocked if he is stupid enough this year to let Scott Boras persuade him not to accept his player option to try to pursue a situation that pays more and offers more playing time. Unfortunately, unlike Wakefield, Varitek doesn't always do what's best for himself and the team, although the Globe said Varitek is "likely" to stay put.

If he does, he will not be the starting catcher, as the Red Sox made another expected move to pick up Victor Martinez's 2010 option:

"We're going to really look for Victor to be the everyday catcher next year," Epstein said. "What puts us in the best position to win is for Victor catching as much as he can. The spot we'll have available is for more of a traditional backup. We'll see what Tek's (Jason Varitek) decision is before we move forward. He's got five days to exercise his player option. You can always negotiate but in this case it's his decision to make."

Farewell Feliz, and A-Gon is gone

Christine and I were finishing dinner after a busy but enjoyable Sunday.

"Oh shoot, the blog," I said, remembering that I didn't have a post and that I'm not yet accustomed to the fact I can no longer just rely on game action.

"Don't worry, maybe something happened today," Christine said.

"Well, we didn't get a chance to answer Matty's question about Pedro Feliz, maybe I'll just make that the post," I said.

"Unless the Phillies have already announced a decision on his option," Christine said.

We both decided there was little chance of that happening on a Sunday. Oops: Phils decline Feliz option.

So, here's how we would have answered Matty's question whether we would pick up the $5.5 million option.

Christine is a definite yes because his defense compensates for his weak bat.

I don't mind Feliz at $5.5 million - that is what he is worth. But I probably would have taken the Phillies' tact: cut him loose and see if you can find a better option in what should be a deflated market with the economy. Besides, remember how Feliz became a Phillie? Nobody else wanted him. So if the Phillies don't find a good deal for a better third baseman, they can always go back to Feliz.

I think that's what GM Ruben Amaro has in mind:

"This doesn't preclude us from bringing Pedro back next season," Amaro said in a statement. "While this allows us to explore other opportunities, we will continue to keep the lines of communication open with Pedro and his representative."

The Red Sox also declined an option on an infielder today, casting aside Alex Gonzalez. They too may bring back Gonzalez at a lesser deal.

Buh-bye, Brett

On July 24, 2002, Christine and I were honeymooning in Niagara Falls. (We took a real honeymoon in Hawaii the next year.) Also on that date, young Brett Myers tossed eight innings of two-hit ball to earn a win in his first major league start for the Phillies.

It was the first of 240 appearances (183 starts) for Myers as a Phillies. In all likelihood, he won't be making any more for the team as the Phillies say they're not bringing him back. Here's the good cop quote from GM Ruben Amaro:

Brett is one of our own. He was here 11 years. It's difficult to let a guy go, just like it was difficult with Pat [Burrell] last year. At the same time, sometimes you have to think about change, so we made the decision. Brett will have opportunities on another club. He's very versatile. He can be a starter or a reliever.

It's not surprising that Brett won't be a Phillie in 2010, but it's kind of odd that the Phillies would publicly sever ties so quickly, even though Myers has caused his share of trouble: the domestic assault charges, using a slur against a reporter, injuring himself in the bizarre SUV incident this year and, most recently, the Cole Hamels "quit" incident.

As Jim Salisbury wrote:

Though no one in the organization would explicitly say it, there were indications that the team had just had its fill of Myers, the club's top draft pick in 1999. The Phils might have put up with Myers' dramatics had he maintained the effectiveness that helped him win 25 games and post a 3.82 ERA in 65 starts over the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but a number of factors hurt his performance, especially the last two seasons, and exhausted the team's patience.

I ran hot and cold with Brett. He was young and immature, but had one of the most beautiful curve balls, a nice little lollipop that literally took my breath away at times. He was on the mound for the final out of 2007 and mostly selfless on the field.

He was one of the longest-tenured Phillies - only Jimmy Rollins has been on the team longer - and his closing comment shows he at least understand the Philly fans:

Myers said he would miss his teammates and thanked the fans, many of whom supported him through his rough times. After eight seasons in Philadelphia, he said, he knows how tough the fans can be, and he expects to feel some of that old tough love when he returns with another team.

"Hopefully, I'll be playing against the Phillies, and when I do, I want the roughest treatment the fans can give me - when I'm pitching," he said, laughing. "I'm an opposing player. You have to give it to me."

I hope the fans remember this quote and give Brett a loving boo before a standing ovation the first time he wears gray in Philly. But after that, respect his wishes and remember he's the enemy.

Other news: Shocker! Brad Lidge was pitching was loose bodies in his elbow; he's headed for the operating room along with Raul Ibanez and Scott Eyre. And Pedro Feliz may join Brett Myers on the Phillies kicked-to-the-curb list this off season.

[Photo credit: Associated Press]

Sun's out, we're off

There's not much going on today. The Phillies fans still mourn, and the Yankees will have their naseating parade to celebrate their epic, decade-long quest to buy a championship.

Christine and I took a day off and plan to enjoy this beautiful but cold November day with little focus on baseball.

Phillies fans who still need a little affirmation should check out this count-your-blessings piece by John Gonzalez. I usually don't care for Gonzo - except in Muppet form - but he did a good job with this one:

Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but it's really remarkable that in two years' time the Phils managed to end the drought and alter the way the fans think about sports. The reflexive pessimism that crushed so many souls for so many years has been replaced by genuine optimism - and for good reason. When you look at this team, there's no reason to think the Phils can't continue their astonishing run next season. Sure, the core group of players is getting a little older, and they could always use more pitching. But everything is relative. When you compare the Phils with the rest of the National League, you have to like their chances to push into the playoffs again.

Opening day is 150 days away.

You can't buy integrity

So the Yankees finally bought that World Series trophy that has alluded them for the past decade. Today crystallized why I can't stand the Yankees and their fans. First, there was the colleague who had to come in making sure everyone knew the Yankees won No. 27 - as if we all weren't well aware of it.

Then, a Deadspin commenter illustrated how obnoxious the Yankees fans are. They think they are better than everyone else, and they cannot just enjoy their championship. The commenter noted how when the White Sox won their title, their fans had a communal hug to enjoy the moment and remember all the painful years that preceded it.

You can replace the White Sox with the Red Sox, Phillies or even Angels, and the sentiment is still apt.

The Yankee fans, however, cannot enjoy their championship without expressing some false sense of dominance over everyone else. It's like they have some deep-rooted psychological problem they're overcompensating for. Or maybe they're jealous that their title carries none of the feel-good stories surrounding other recent champions.

You can buy a trophy, but you can't buy the pain, suffering and anticipation that makes it worthwhile.

Eric Wilbur has a nice satirical piece on the 2,992-day wait the Yankees fans have endured between their World Championships, which has cost more than $1 billion, perhaps up to $1.8 billion in payroll since 2000.

Actually, on second thought, it's disturbing because the Yankee fans who were quoted in other pieces don't seem to understand how stupid they sound:

These are the stories that infiltrate Yankee Universe today, tales of perseverance and dedication to a team that seemed destined never to win its 27th World Series.

"Being a Yankees fan is a matter of survival," former Cubs fan Chris McNally, told the New York Times. It is a statement that rings oh so true today, when the Yankees can call themselves champs for the first time since Obama took office.

Or, even worse:

"Grown men cried when the Yankees won it all for the first time in nine years," wrote the New York Post's Jay Greenburg. The deep, five-year wounds of 2004 have been healed.

Greenburg writes:

Behind the bleachers, Brennan Roe, 30, of Queens, had eyes almost as red as the Phillies uniforms or the blood spilled by Derek Jeter the night he ran head first into the third-base stands for a Red Sox pop foul, or from veins that were opened up in 2004 and probably weren't closed again until last night.

"I have seen him cry three times in 10 years," said Roe's wife Tara. "The first time was when Scott Brosius hit that home run in Game 4 in 2001, the second was on our wedding day and now tonight."

Yeah, it takes real heart to root for a $200 million team. Bringing us back to reality is Rich Hoffmann's eulogy-like piece on the Phillies season, "Manuel's teams never lack heart."

It's a must-read for downtrodden Phillies fans. It's a nice mixture of acknowledging the current pain, looking forward to the future and remembering the good times of the past few years:

But the truth is, Manuel has ridden herd on a revolution. Five years ago, this was not a likable team. Five years ago, this was not an admired franchise. Their reputation was for timidity. They lacked a personality. During his tenure, all of that has changed. He demanded only two things from them: that they play for nine innings and that they be themselves. The rest, he said, was on him.

"I'm sitting here today talking to you because I've got good players," Manuel said yesterday afternoon. "I always give them the credit. They have the best attitude I've ever been around. I've been in baseball a long time - best attitude, best chemistry I've ever been around. How much I put into it, I don't know, believe me. But I know this, I know that they've got a good way of seeing the game and doing what they want to do and how they play it. And that makes me proud of them."

Cholly says the Phillies will be back, and I believe him. I'd rather watch a team lose with heart than win with arrogance and bloated payrolls.

The Yankees are back on a pedestal, and Theo Epstein and the Red Sox could only watch:

"I've been watching, but pretty casually," Epstein said yesterday from his office at Fenway Park. "Like everyone else in the organization, though, most of our time these days is being spent planning for next season."

That plan was revealed somewhat today in the acquisition of OF Jeremy Hermida. It's not a huge move, but nothing to complain about. At worst, he's a fourth outfielder, but he's still just 25 so he could still fulfill the promise he showed a couple years ago.

More importantly, the move signals that 2009 is over. Our squads are focused on bringing us the SoxandPhils World Series in 2010.

It's over.

A long, cold winter begins.

Do or die

No more links to stories or rehashing the news. No more analyzing or speculating. No more lame photoshopped pictures or cheesy trash-talking.

Game 6 is starting now, and the Phillies know what they have to do.

Win tonight, play tomorrow.

Some more deja vu

When the Red Sox trailed the 2004 ALCS 0-3, there was a feeling that the Yankees should finish off the sweep because once the Red Sox started winning, they would not stop.

Anybody getting a similar vibe from the Phillies after they held on to an 8-6 win last night to stave off elimination and send the series back to New York?

Yesterday, I heard Jayson Stark comparing these Phillies to the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox, which are two of 11 teams, according to David Murphy, to overcome 3-1 deficits in the playoffs.

J-Roll used an interesting analogy in this separate piece by Stark:

Maybe 24 hours from now, in a stadium up the Turnpike, the Yankees will find a way to kill this team off. But if we learned anything from Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, it won't be easy. Just ask the leadoff man.

"How hard is it to kill this team? Hopefully it's like trying to run over an armadillo," said Jimmy Rollins, after his team had lived to play another ballgame. "Just roll up and put our shells on. And after the car goes over us, we unfold and walk away."

Yesterday, everything seemed so bleak for those of us rooting for the Phillies, against the Yankees or both. I didn't concede, but struggled to remain positive even though the Red Sox have mounted similar comebacks from 1-3 holes three times in the last six postseasons, hence the feeling that I've been here before.

In 2004, I conceded after the Game 3 drubbing, but my friend talked me off the ledge by pointing out the pitching was lined up (Derek Lowe, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling) to force a Game 7, which is basically a coin toss.

I was more confident in 2007, especially because we had a dominant Josh Beckett going in Game 5 and then home field advantage for Games 6 and 7.

Last year, I was nervous until we won Game 6. I thought there was no way the Red Sox would come back and force a Game 7 just to lose it - especially given their recent comebacks, Jon Lester was starting, and the Phillies were waiting for their blogmates in the World Series.

I was wrong.

Despite last year's example, I'm using similar logic for the Phillies. If Pedro Martinez can work his magic and the Phillies bats remember they're an elite offense against an old roider on short rest, there's no reason this series doesn't go seven games. If there is a Game 7, it will be all hands on deck and basically even odds whether good or evil prevails. But in this scenario, evil has a track record of choking, so there may be some intangible advantage for the champs.

Unless Cole Hamels really has quit.

Speaking of quitting: There's no quit-orino in Shane Victorino. He says he's playing tomorrow. I don't doubt it, especially given his reaction to being removed in the 8th inning last night - a truly funny moment. Great line about Shane by Mitch Williams today: "He won't build you a rocket, but he'll be the first one on it. He just wants to play."

Phinally: Johnny Damon is a jackass. I heard him say that this World Series is the highlight of his career. Good, value blowing a 3-1 lead more than being part of one of the most notable championships ever. I only mention to contrast what a class act Pedro Martinez is. He's a true SoxandPhil ... and 'Spo:

On whether it would surprise him to know Red Sox fans are pulling for him to beat the Yankees: "No, it wouldn't. It wouldn't surprise me at all. I know that they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games. And knowing that I am part of Boston, I consider myself a Bostonian, as well, too, I've been a Montrealer, a Bostonian, and now a New Yorker, and somehow, I might become a Philadelphian now. But I've only been there for a short period. It's something that's a work in progress. I'm pretty sure that every Boston fan out there can feel proud that I'm going to try to beat the Yankees, and I'm going to give just the same effort I always did for them. They're special fans, and they will always have my respect."

Thank you Pedro. Give 'em hell tomorrow.

[Photo credit: wlarmadillo.com]

A World Series open letter to the Phillies

Dear Phillies,

It's been a while since I felt the need to address you, but now is the time.

I'm not going to rehash the mistakes, miscues and misplays of the past three games. I'm looking to the future.

I'm not ready for the season to end tonight.

Tonight is Cliff Lee's turn to do what Cliff Lee does best - work quickly, use both sides of the plate and shut down the other team's offense. Tonight, the Phillies offense needs to remember that it is elite, a formidable foe that can strike fear in any pitcher. And tonight, the fans need to make that New York pitcher remember that he's facing a world-class offense. A.J. Burnett is a head case. Get in his head, early and often.

Wednesday night, I want to see Pedro Martinez pitch until his arm falls off against a tired Andy Pettitte. Offense: Take advantage of that tiredness and the fact that you just faced him. Make that steroid-taking cheater work. Beat him.

And on Thursday night, I want to see a dead-tired CC Sabathia pitching his third game in only nine days and Cole Hamels remember that he's Cole Freakin' Hamels.

It won't be easy, but it can be done. If any team is going to come back from 3-1, it's the Phillies. Shut down the Yankees. Shut up their fans and all of the critics. Defend what is yours. Beat the Yankees. Win the World Series. I won't give up on you as long as you don't give up on yourselves.

See you on Wednesday in New York.

Love,
Christine

Hoping for a series

As the Phillies steamrolled through the 2008 playoffs, I kept reminding Christine that it wasn't supposed to be this easy and that eventually the Phillies would have to win a tough series - one in which they lose more than one game.

I kind of wanted her to feel the pressure of a Game 6 or 7 because I know the Phillies have the personality to gut it out and those situations build character for teams and fans.

But I did not want that series to be against the Yankees. I wanted these Phillies, my second team by marriage, to squash the arrogant, over-paid, over-hyped Empire from my youth back into the ground.

Unfortunately, Cole Hamels coughed up a three-run lead last night and the Phillies trail a playoff series (2-1) for the first time since 2007. Since 2004, I hesitate to call any non-elimination game a must-win, but tonight is pretty close.

Joe Blanton vs. CC Sabathia. Christine likes to talk tough about the big guy the Phillies beat around in Game 2 of last year's NLDS, but in an honest moment, she'll admit she was nervous that he would have pitched Game 5 if the Phillies hadn't wrapped up the series against the Brewers in four games.

I sensed a loss before last night's game; I have no feeling for tonight. I think Heavy B may surprise, but that may be more hope than intuition.

Christine's mindset? A few weeks ago, she placed a Phillies sundae helmet on a stuffed animal (a hedgehog). The thing has sat on her dresser since the first round of the playoffs and, in one of her only bouts of superstition, has insisted it cannot be moved. (In full disclosure, I employed this animal similarly during the great comeback of 2004.) When I got home from work today, the hedgehog was placed on the downstairs couch - hopefully in a better position to place a hex on CC.

Sorry about the random thoughts, but I don't like the feeling I've had all day. I don't like that the odds are now in favor of the Yankees ending their championship drought and that if it does happen, the SoxandPhils will be the biggest culprits. I knew I'd live to see another Yankees championship, I just didn't think it could happen this soon and against this Phillies team.

Go Phils!

Red Sox mention: Singing the anthem tonight is Tech. Sgt. Jody Johnson, who grew up in Alaska dreaming of playing for the Red Sox.

"I think it's because my mom was such a fan," Johnson said of her mother, Sandra Goodwin of Soldotna.

She's a now a SoxandPhils fan, but her friends don't seem to understand that's possible.

She even admitted to having become a Phillies fan.

"I park in the lot with a big fat Red Sox sticker on my car," she said. "Now I'm teased, how I can sing for the Phillies and support the Sox?"

As though she needs justification, she said she's made the Phillies her National League team, though the Sox still hold a special place in her heart.

Cole's nuts: After blowing Game 3, he said he can't wait for the season to end, raising eyebrows from everyone - including Charlie Manuel. I had to drive a lot today. It was odd hearing everyone on the radio so down on him. People weren't this upset with Brad Lidge throughout the year.