Change the channel

Recently, Ed Wade told reporters he didn't watch the 2008 World Series won by a Phillies team that he largely assembled:

I was actually sleeping when they clinched, and when Pat [Gillick] said the nice things about me I was sound asleep and my phone started beeping text messages and I found out the next day what he said about me, which was extremely gratifying.

Interestingly, he also said the team could have won in 2005 if Cole Hamels - who entered the year as a 21-year-old with a grand total of 117 innings in A ball - were available to replace an injured Randy Wolf at the end of the year.

I tell people if Cole hadn't broken his hand at the pool room he probably would have been up at some point during the season when [Randy] Wolf got hurt and things might have been different. I'm happy we did things the right way and sorry that it took so long to get there.

Thanks, Ed. I needed a reminder of why the Phillies never won with you around.

Changing the game: Although Hamels wasn't a game-changer in 2005, he most certainly was in 2008. Just don't those involved in the major leagues who apparently changed the channel in October, or like Ed Wade, were asleep on their couches.

In today's column, Nick Cafardo asked baseball people to list the sport's biggest game changer. After last year's dominant playoffs, I wondered how high young Cole would rank. I kept reading ... and reading ... and reading ... finally ...

Those who received honorable mention: Florida's Hanley Ramirez; Boston's Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz (who would have been high on this list two years ago), and Jonathan Papelbon; Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki; Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Cole Hamels [...]

What? Baseball is a team sport, but the guy carried his team to World Series glory last year. If Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes, who rank three, five and eight, are so great, how come they couldn't have changed the Mets from chokers to the playoffs? Perhaps because of this:

Conspicuous by their absences: Yankees Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter, and Mets five-tool star Carlos Beltran, who in the words of one scout "doesn't want to be great." Also unmentioned were Sox pitcher Josh Beckett and Washington's Adam Dunn.

Change the channel - I've seen this before: I'm getting tired of talking about Manny Ramirez, but it seems we finally found his replacement in David Ortiz, if we're talking about whom is the Red Sox star most likely to fight with Kevin Youkilis. Also from today's column:

As for the Sox lineup, all winter David Ortiz has talked about adding another power hitter, making references to the fact that he's not as protected in the lineup. It has almost come off as a slap against Youkilis, the guy who hit behind Ortiz in the lineup most often after Manny Ramírez was traded to the Dodgers.

Asked whether he was worried about the offense, Youkilis said, "No. There's only one guy on the team who feels we need more. I don't know why he thinks that or whether he's brought that up again.

"I guess he feels that way and he's entitled to that. I like our team. I like every hitter in our lineup.

"Three through seven - and even Pedey [Dustin Pedroia] at two - can hit 20 [home runs]. To have 20 or more from 2-7? It's amazing that someone is going to hit seventh.

"You've got J.D. [Drew] and Jason Bay and me. Somebody is going to hit seventh. Tito [Terry Francona] might as well put the names in a bag every day and pick out 4-7.

"We all can hit fourth, we all can hit seventh, and we can all drive in runs. I hit seventh last year. Jason Bay hits 30 and drives in 100. I don't know what the complaint is there, but I love our team. I love our lineup."

Must-see TV: Recently during the World Baseball Classic, I heard Rick Sutcliffe proclaim Jimmy Rollins baseball's best dancer. Today Cafardo drops: "I think Jacoby Ellsbury would win Dancing With The Stars."

Three words: SoxandPhils dance off.