Cliff Lee is on the way out.

There is a major rumor that has been swirling around the baseball universe since 3pm. Andy Martino of the Philly Inquirer says Roy Halladay and his agent are in town so that means a deal is near. Meanwhile, as much as Phillies fans were salivating at the thought of a Halladay, Cliff Lee one-two punch, the deal is apparently a three team move, with Lee going to Seattle and the Mariners sending prospects, along with some Phillies prospects (J.A. Happ, Michael Taylor), to the Blue Jays.

I guess we have to deal with the reality that Lee and Halladay were too expensive together. Personally, I’d like to see us keep Lee and pay him without giving up more prospects, but perhaps Ruben Amaro is concerned about having a pitching line-up with too many lefties.

Looks like we won’t have too long to wait for the final outcome.

This will be short and bittersweet. The durable arm of Andy Pettitte and the monstrous bat of “Godzilla,” Hideki Matsui, who went 3 for 4 with a homer, double, single and six RBIs, were too much for the Phillies as the Yanks won their 27^th World Series with a 7-3 victory.

That the Phillies even made it to this stage for a second year in a row was a testament to the intestinal fortitude of a Phillies club that had a closer who couldn’t close, a World Series MVP having a terrible year, and a shaky bullpen. We can also thank Ruben Amaro, Jr. for giving Philly a shot at the repeat with the deals that brought Cliff Lee and Raul Ibanez to town.

Talk about next year is for another day. Today we celebrate back-to-back appearances in the World Series. With a few adjustments here and there, the Phillies should be back in the hunt next season.

They gave us a great ride.

Cliff Lee wins game 1.

Is Cliff Lee too cool for school or what? What an amazing start to the World Series for the Phillies phaithful.
Lee had ten strikeouts, including three of Alex Rodriguez. Lee did it all, masterful pitching and terrific fielding, including that “Is that all you’ve got” look on his face when he caught the Johnny Damon pop-up, plus the behind-the-back stop on the Cano rocket up the middle. The Yanks were lucky they were in the A.L. park so Lee didn’t get a chance to bat.

Chase Utley did bat. In my preview blog  yesterday I noted that, “Chase Utley has been quiet this post-season and needs to knock in a few more runs.” Mission accomplished.

C.C. Sabathia was good but Lee was better. The Phillies handled Sabathia in the division series last year when he was with Milwaukee. The key for the Phillies hitters was being patient. They made Sabathia work, didn’t swing at bad pitches. Cliff Lee did the rest, with the gravy provided by picking up four more runs against the Yankees bullpen. If they make Mariano Rivera a non-factor, the Phils should have continued success.

Do you like my pumpkin?

Charlie Manual is keeping his pitching rotation beyond tonight game three a secret, but my guess is he will not send Lee to the mound on three-days rest. He will keep Lee ready for game five.
The Yankees are as tough-minded as the defending champs. I expect them to hit the ball tonight. It might even be a slugfest, a round two heavyweight brawl.
I bet the New York Post is rethinking that silly “Frillies” cover with the Flying Hawaiian in a cheerleader’s outfit.
These might be the almighty Yankees but they are facing their Red October-tested doppleganger, a team as confident and tough-minded as they are.

Just ask a Mets’ fan.

The Phillies celebration after their 10-4 shellacking of the L.A. Dodgers was muted. Sure, the champagne was being tossed about, but you sensed that these Phillies were hungry for more. They no doubt liked the sign in the stands that said:

2008 was Destiny; 2009 is Dynasty.

That the Phillies are going back to the World Series for a second year in a row has officially made this group the best Phillies team ever. So what could make their return to the World Series even sweeter? Taking on the biggest dynasty in the history of sports, the N.Y. Yankees. I like the Angels and their fans rally monkeys as much as the next fan, but the whole history of the 1950 Whiz Kids now passing the baton to the 2009 Wallop Kids as they take on the Yanks is too perfect.

Not only will the Fightins be taking on Jeter and A-Rod, Mariano Rivera and C.C. Sabathia, but this match-up would be a nightmare for Mets fans, the two stinkin’ franchises they hate the most playing for the big prize.

I can’t wait … but if it is the Angels, I’ll live with that.

While we know better then to anger the gods of baseball by guaranteeing that it will be a Phillies-Yankees World Series, it is sure looking like 1950 all over again with the Phils up 3-1 over the Dodgers and the Yankees holding the same advantage over the Angels. Let’s just say there are a lot of heavy hearts in Los Angeles right now about the chances for a freeway series.
Instead it looks like it will be a showdown between nasty Philly fans — “These fans are as ugly as any in the country,” according to columnist TJ Simers of the L.A. Times — and the Yankee faithful. Simers noted in the same column, “The only bright spot if they draw the Yankees now, [is] getting a look in the mirror at fans who might remind them of themselves.”

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There was joy in Phillies-ville, mighty J-Roll did not strike out.

A funny thing happened after the Los Angeles Dodgers sent their excellent closer, Jonathan Broxton, out to the mound in the ninth inning with a 4-3 lead to nail down the win and the 2-2 tie in the series with the Phillies.
When you have a 100-mile per hour fastball you are supposed to challenge hitters. Broxton, however, did not want to challenge pinch hitter Matt Stairs with one out. Stairs nailed down the crucial game four win in the NLCS last year with a homer against Broxton.
With that memory haunting his psyche, Broxton walked a .194 hitter who had failed to hit a homer in his last 30 at bats. After Stairs was replaced by Eric Bruntlett at first, Broxton faced Carlos “Senor Octobre” Ruiz. Broxton, the fear factor affecting his control, hit Ruiz with a pitch. Now the winning run was on base.
After pinch hitter Greg Dobbs hit a weak pop to third, Jimmy Rollins came to the plate. A double might not be enough to score your catcher from first base. Rollins, however, swung at a fastball down the heart of the plate and nailed it to the right centerfield gap. Ruiz’s little legs were churning like the Roadrunner as he slid across the plate for the winning run and a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
As a delightful little side note, Brad Lidge pitched well in his half of the ninth to preserve the one-run deficit and wound up with the win. Lidge has saved all three of his opportunities. Hard to believe, Harry, but Lidge has been the most consistent closer in the playoffs to date.
It looks like the Boys of Red October weren’t kidding at the parade last year when they said they wanted to do this again … and again.
Wednesday, Cole Hamels gets to show he can return to 2008 form and nail down the win that takes the Fightins’ into the World Series. Call me crazy, but I don’t see Vincente Padilla matching his game two effort. Wrapping it up in Philly would be nice, but we have an ace in the hole, with Cliff Lee on tap if the series returns to L.A.

Best Sign of the Night: I’m J-Roll’s brother, Tootsie.

Joe Blanton takes the mound tonight.

Thank goodness the Phillies were playing in a crucial game 3 of the NLCS and came up big. Ryan Howard hits a triple and knocks in two in the first inning and Jason Werth follows with a two run blast to deliver a knockout punch before the Dodgers had a chance to regroup.

Cliff Lee seems to channeling Steve Carlton, and even contributed with a hit. Chase Utley did his job in the field and Carlos Ruiz continued his run as a post-season all-star. Howard, by the way, is the first player in the history of baseball to have an RBI in his first seven games of the post-season in the same year. Lou Gehrig had eight games with a ribbie, but in a two-year span.

Shane Victorino’s cherry-on-the-top three run blast for the 11-0 final was of note mostly because it assured that the Phillies scored more runs than the pathetic, are-you-kidding-me? Eagles in their 13-9 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

There isn’t much to say about that game except that while you expect your football team to play bad once in a while … against the RAIDERS!!!! WTF.

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Brad Lidge earned the save.

Watching Brad Lidge run out to the mound last night to save game three of the divisional series gave me a chill down by spine that had nothing to do with the frigid temperatures in the Mile High City. It was 1993 all over again. I was feeling like I felt when Mitch Williams would enter the game. He was a great closer, but his hair-on-fire style would drive the Phillies faithful nuts. You never knew what you would get, except that it would probably be bad before it got good. He would walk the bases loaded and then strike out the side.
Last night Brad Lidge was not exactly “Lights Out,” but when his back was to the wall with a runner is scoring position, he got the final out against Troy Tulowitzki to preserve the tense 6-5 victory that ended at 2:15am EST.
The Phillies fought back several times in what was a total team effort. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard had key hits, playoff newcomer Raul Ibanez showed great patience with his bases-loaded walk that tied the game, and Carlos Ruiz has picked up where he left off last post-season as a clutch hitter.
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Ruben Amaro

As I listened to Cliff Lee mowing down hitters (damn MLB for putting the Phillies game in the afternoon), and later heard Raul Ibanez contribute two key hits, I thought to myself, “Thank you Ruben Amaro, Jr.”

In his rookie season as general manager of the Phillies, after an eight-year apprenticeship as assistant GM, Amaro made all the right moves to give the Phillies the best chance to repeat. He knew we needed another stud pitcher. Not only did he obtain Lee in mid-season, he did it without giving up the Phillies top prospects. And, before the season started, he replaced Pat Burrell with 36-year-old Raul Ibanez. Were Phillies fans skeptical about that move? Damn straight, but Ibanez went on to tear it up in the first half of the season and wound up with 34 homers, the most of his career. While former GM Pat Gillick, still serving as an advisor to the Phillies, was the one who knew and recommended Ibanez, it was Amaro who pulled the trigger on the deal.

Lee wins 5-1 over Rockies.

Not only is Lee a stud pitcher, but he likes to finish games. I believe that is why Charlie Manual went with Lee over his reigning World Series MVP Cole Hamels in yesterday’s 5-1 victory over the Rockies. Yes, Hamels works better on his full four days of rest, but Manual pulled him early in his last start so he could pitch game one if Manual leaned that way.

What was most enjoyable about yesterday’s game was that Lee made sure Manual didn’t have to use his fragile bullpen. It was also nice to see contributions from the entire Phillies lineup (every starter, including Lee, got a hit) after how poorly the Phillies hit against the Rockies in the 2007 series. The Phils had clutch hits from Ibanez, Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard. Jimmy Rollins contributed fantastic defense on a day when the wind turned Citizen’s Bank Park into Candlestick Park in its heyday.

Best of all Cliff Lee went all the way. Yo, Ruben, thanks man.

Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie, show or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or my on-going battle to lose weight in our fast food world. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly

Phillies fans remember the pain of the 2007 playoffs. Back in the postseason for the first time since 1993, the team ran into a buzzsaw, the Colorado Rockies, who smoked the Phillies in a three game sweep.

The repeat bid begins today. Photo by: Tom Briglia / PhotoGraphics Photography

That was then. This is now. The 2009 Phillies are the defending 2008 World Series Champions. While many of the players are the same on both teams (Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins; Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Brad Hawpe) there are key differences. The Rockies don’t have Matt Holliday; the Phillies have Cliff Lee, who starts today, and the home run pop provided by Raul Ibanez. The Phillies didn’t have “Lights Out” Lidge in 2007.

Ah, all right, the Phillies don’t have Lights Out Lidge this year either. They have a version of Brad Lidge that has 11 blown saves with a 0-8 record and a 7.21 ERA. The back of the Phillies bullpen will be the biggest concern as the series begins at 2:37 this afternoon. Damn that schedule that disses the World Champions.

The Phillies lefty-dominated pitching will be a big advantage vs. the Rockies. The Rockies are barely .500 against left-handed pitching. Lee cooled off after winning his first five games as a Phillie, but one of his early wins was against the Rockies. Cole Hamels has had a rollercoaster season, but he is still the defending World Series MVP. Rookie-of-the-Year candidate J.A. Happ pitched a complete game shutout against the Rockies, which is why he will not be in the bullpen for this series; instead, Phillies manager Charlie Manual added lefty Antonio Bastardo to the roster in a surprise move.

Both these teams can hit. The Phillies led the National League in homers and runs scored (224, 820); the Rockies (190, 804) were second in both categories. The Rockies have the “lights out” bullpen with set-up man Rafael Betancourt and closer Hudson Street.

The pick: The Phillies will need to out slug the Rockies, and they will, winning in four games.

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