Sorry Phillies fans, Cliff Lee is going to the Yankees (or not)

UPDATE: Or not. Apparently talks between the Yankees and Mariners have fallen apart. Jon Heyman reports that the Mariners don't like the Yankees offer.

Those dreams of Cliff Lee returning to the Phillies appear to be over: word around baseball is that Lee is about to be traded to the Yankees for a couple of prospects, including catcher Jesus Montero.

While your initial reaction is one of depression at the fact that the Phillies won't be getting Lee back and dismay that he's going to the hated Yankees, it's much better that Lee is going to the Yankees than to any team in the National League. Sure, we all dispise the Yankees and can't stand that a player we like is going there but could you imagine if Lee went to the Mets or Braves and the Phillies had to face him multiple times this year?

The trading of Cliff Lee also seems to have increased the chances that the Phillies will be dealing Jayson Werth for a starting pitcher. One possible trade that has already been discussed is dealing Werth for Yankees pitcher Javier Vazquez, who will be the odd man out in the New York rotation with the acquisition of Lee. Hopefully the Phillies set their sights a little higher than Vazquez; if Dan Haren is available, I'd love to see the Phillies do whatever it takes, short of prospect Domonic Brown, to get Haren.

Good luck with the Yankees, Cliff Lee. Hopefully the Phillies get a chance to beat you in the World Series.

Moyer, Kendrick help Phillies exact some World Series revenge

With the way their road trip started, I'm sure everyone is happy that the Phillies somehow earned a 3-3 split in Boston and New York.

After getting crushed by the Red Sox 12-2 and 10-2 last weekend, the Phillies looked like a team on the brink of a complete collapse. Thanks to Cole Hamels, the Phillies at least managed to salvage at least one win in Boston but things weren't going to get any easier for the Phillies as they had to travel to Yankee Stadium, the scene of their 2009 World Series failure.

After supposed Yankee killer Roy Halladay got roughed up in the first game, all seemed glum for the Phillies as they turned to soft tossers Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick, who figured to get eaten alive by the patient Yankee hitters. No one, not even the most optimistic Phillies fan, could have predicted what would happen next.

First, Jamie Moyer became the oldest pitcher ever to beat the Yankees after he pitched 8 innings of 3 hit ball. Coupled with a Shane Victorino 3-run triple and back to back homers by Ryan Howard and Jayson Werth and we started seeing a glimpse of the old Phillies.

Of course, if Wednesday night was just a glimpse at the old Phillies, Thursday night was their triumphant return. Backed by Kyle Kendrick's best performance of the season and some amazing defense, the Phillies routed the Yankees, 7-1. It was easily the most well-rounded game the Phillies have played in a long while, from stellar glove work by Placido Polanco and Jose Contreras to some masterful situational hitting in the 9th inning that allowed the Phils to tack on 4 insurance runs and seal the deal.

So, as unlikely as it sounds, behind the pitching performances of Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick the Phillies took 2 out of 3 against the Yankees and won their first series since taking 2 out of 3 against the Marlins back in late May. While they still have some work to do to get themselves atop the NL East where they belong, this series against the Yankees just might just end up being the turning point that gets the Phillies pointed back in the right direction.
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Phillies get their revenge on the Yankees (sort of)

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Roy Halladay made all the difference.

The Phillies kicked off their Spring Training schedule this year with the World Champion Yankees (man, that sucks having to write that) and got about the smallest amount of payback you can get when they beat them, 3-2. The most notable thing in the game was the performance of Roy Halladay, who threw 21 strikes in 24 pitches to mow down the Yankees in two perfect innings. Halladay looked great on the mound, showing lots of movement with his pitches as he struck out 3 batters. Sure, this wasn't exactly the top Yankees lineup (no Jeter or A-Rod), but for a first outing of the spring, Halladay looked good.

As for the Phillies offense, none of the regulars did much at the plate. Minor league players Ozzie Chavez, Wilson Valdez and Paul Hoover each had an RBI. Brian Bocock had a couple of hits.

Even though it's only Spring Training, it still feels good whenever you beat the Yankees. Having Roy Halladay look sharp in his first preseason action is a major bonus. Who was that Cliff Lee guy again?

Say it ain't so, Chan Ho: Park signs with the Yankees

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em? One of the most reliable pieces from the Phillies bullpen in 2009 has joined the Yankees: Chan Ho Park signed a one year deal to play for the World Champs. Park signed for 1.2 million plus incentives, a drop from what the Phillies were offering him following last season.

Why Park didn't want to come back to the Phillies initially and why the Phillies couldn't sign him at such a meager price are a mystery. The Phillies made enough moves (Contreras, Baez) to get past the loss of Park but he sure would have been a nice piece to still have around. As we all know, you can never have enough consistent bullpen arms.

One thing is for sure: Chan Ho Park, like Chris Coste, is now dead to me.

We'll always have 2008, Phillies fans

I know you feel raw right now, Phillies fans. I know you are downtrodden that our team didn't win another World Series. Before you get too upset, however, you need to keep a little perspective. We still have 2008 and all the memories that went into winning that title. We still have Cole Hamels' mastery, Brad Lidge's perfection, Carlos Ruiz's big hits and Ryan Howard's homers. They still won it all in Harry Kalas' last year. We still have that banner waving in Citizens Bank Park and nothing will take that away.

Not winning this year doesn't erase 2008. No, the Phillies weren't the best team in baseball this year, they were the second best. No, they didn't have enough pitching to slow down the Yankees. And, no, none of the left-handed bats showed up in the World Series except Chase Utley. But, they still deserve credit for getting back to the World Series and giving it everything they had to defend their title. They still gave us plenty of memorable comebacks and brilliant pitching performances, they just didn't quite have enough to get it done against a good Yankees team.

It's okay to be disappointed that the 2009 Phillies didn't get it done, just don't ever forget that the Phillies were the 2008 World F'n Champions.

Utley's bombs send Phillies back to New York

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

This is why you can't give up hope, Phillies fans. Facing elimination, the Phillies came out and played inspired baseball to get past the Yankees in Game 5 by a score of 8-6 and push the series back to New York.

The hero of the game for the Phillies was Chase Utley, who hit two homers on the night, a three-run shot in the 1st inning and a solo homer in the 7th. Utley set the tone for the Phillies right away with his 1st inning homer, helping erase the Yankees early 1-0 lead and putting the Phils up for good. Utley's homers have now become historic as he has tied Reggie Jackson's World Series record for homers with 5. With Game 6 coming on Wednesday, Utley has a great chance at making the record all his own.

Phillies starter Cliff Lee did what everyone expected of him, pitching 7 solid innings before running into a few bumps in the 8th inning. In all, Lee's numbers weren't spectacular as he gave up 7 hits and 5 runs, but he ate innings and kept the team ahead throughout. Lee's confidence alone has to give the team a boost. Although things got dicey near the end of the game as the Yankees made the game close, the Phillies bullpen proved to be just good enough to back Lee up.

Now the series shifts back to New York with the Yankees still needing one win to close it out. The Phillies will send Pedro Martinez to the mound for Game 6 while the Yankees will counter with Andy Pettitte, who will pitch on three days rest. Given the fact that Pedro is fresh, you have to give the Phillies the edge in that pitching matchup, meaning there is a great chance this series could be pushed to a 7th game. What the Phillies would do for a pitcher in that case is anybody's guess since Cole Hamels has shown he wants no part of pitching again this year.

Keep the faith, Phillies fans. This team has done what seemed impossible before, there is no reason not to hope they can do it again. Winning two more in New York won't be easy but the Yankees will start feeling the pressure the moment they fall behind in a game. Go Phillies, we believe!

Failure. Lidge implodes, Yankees take commanding 3-1 series lead

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

It's been a rough year for Brad Lidge and tonight was the icing on that crap-filled cake. Lidge failed for possibly his last time this season as the Phillies lost Game 4 to the Yankees, 7-4, and now face a 3-1 series deficit.

With the game tied at 4-4 going into the top of the 9th inning, the Phillies closer took the mound looking to keep the Yankees off the scoreboard. Lidge got two quick outs, then appeared to have the inning sewn up after he got two strikes on Johnny Damon. A single, two stolen bases, a hit-by-pitch, a double and another single later, the Yankees plated 3 runs and completely silenced Citizens Bank Park. After the Phillies failed to do any damage in the bottom of the 9th, the crushing loss was complete.

This loss was particularly hard to take as the Phillies were in the game the whole time. The Yanks scored 4 runs off starter Joe Blanton but the Phillies nipped away at the lead throughout the night, getting solo homers from Chase Utley and Pedro Feliz in the 7th and 8th innings to bring them back into the game. It was all for naught, however, as Lidge failed just like he had all season long.

Now the Phillies find themselves on the brink, one loss away from ending their 2009 season. With Cliff Lee taking the mound in Game 5, the Phillies certainly have a great chance of extending the series back to New York but it's quite an uphill climb to pull off three straight wins against a good team like the Yankees. One thing this team has proven is that they are never out of any game, and although they have not been down in a series like this in the last few years, you have to believe they have some fight left in them. All it takes is one win to get the momentum back in the series and hopefully Cliff Lee will provide that win.

That was a tough loss to stomach, Phillies fans, but don't give up hope just yet. Until they lose that 4th game, this Phillies team is going to fight with everything they have. They are the World F'n Champs, after all.

Hamels falters again as Yankees take 2-1 World Series lead

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

For a few innings, the Cole Hamels from 2008 was back. Unfortunately, one bad call in the 4th inning and the ugly 2009 version of Hamels reared its ugly head. The Yankees capitalized on Hamels' turn as they downed the Phillies 8-5 and took a 2-1 World Series lead.

Hamels was brilliant through 3 innings, not giving up a single hit while mixing up his fastball and change-up. Then, in the 4th inning, while facing Mark Teixeira, Hamels threw a 3-2 pitch that was in the strike zone but was inexplicably called ball 4. Hamels was rattled from that point forward, giving up a "home run" (more on this later) to the very next batter, Alex Rodriguez, then 3 more runs in the 5th inning as he played around with his curveball. What started out so promising for Hamels went south in a hurry as he was yanked from the game after allowing 5 runs in 4 and a third innings.

Of course, there was some controversy in that "home run" by A-Rod. Rodriguez hit a shot to right field that hit a camera that was positioned just over the fence and in the field of play. The hit was originally called a double but after going to the replay, the umpires decided it was a home run. It's difficult to really tell if the ball would have cleared the fence if the camera wasn't there, so I'm not quite sure how the umps had conclusive evidence that it was a home run.

As for the Phillies offense, it was pretty well neutralized by Andy Pettitte on the night. Pettitte gave up 3 early runs but then settled in and allowed only one run after that. He was particularly effective against the Phillie lefties like Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez, who went a combined 0 for 12 on the night with 7 strikeouts against Pettitte and the Yankee relievers. The one hitter who was on tonight was Jayson Werth, who continued his hot playoff hitting by bashing two solo home runs.

The Phillies now find themselves in a position they haven't been in for a few years: behind in a series. They have a tough challenge tomorrow as they face Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia in a must-win game, but there is plenty of reason to still have faith. Sabathia isn't unbeatable, as the Phillies have beaten him twice in the last two years in the playoffs, and he is going on only three days rest. The Phillies will be using Joe Blanton, who won Game 4 of the World Series last year, so hopefully he can repeat that performance on Sunday.

Game 3 was a tough loss for a Phillies team that isn't used to trailing in a series. It proved once and for all that the 2008 Cole Hamels is dead and won't be resurrected for 2009. Winning Game 4 now becomes critical as the Phillies will now look to extend the series back to New York. Don't worry, Phillies fans, there is still plenty of fight left in this team.

Yankees even up series behind Burnett's gem

(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

When you are looking for a pitcher to match the masterful performance that Cliff Lee had for the Phillies in Game 1, there would be quite a few names that come up before A.J. Burnett. While Burnett's outing wasn't quite up to par with Lee's, the Yankee pitcher did everything he could to silence the Phillie bats in a 3-1 Game 2 win for New York.

Burnett was on point all night, throwing first pitch strikes to nearly every batter he faced en route to striking out 9 and giving up only 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings. While he isn't known for his command, Burnett was around the plate all game long and mixed his pitches up just enough to keep Phillie hitters off balance. It was a great performance for a pitcher who is known to implode once things get a little rough; unfortunately for the Phillies, he never had to sweat much on the mound.

Following Burnett's 7 innings, the Yankees turned to Mariano Rivera, the historically great playoff closer. While the Phillies did manage to get guys on base against Rivera in both the 8th and 9th innings, the Yankee closer shut the door by getting the key double play groundout (although the ump blew it and Chase Utley was safe on the play) and the key strikeout when he needed them.

For the Phillies, Pedro Martinez pitched a solid game in his first outing at the new Yankee Stadium. The fans were on him for most of the night but Pedro was about as good as expected, giving up 3 runs in 6 innings. While it took him a lot of pitches, Pedro mixed up his speeds and got the Yankees to flail at some bad pitches on his way to an 8 strikeout game. In all, it was a tough loss for Pedro as he once again didn't get much run support.

No reason to panic, Phillies fans. Yes, the Phillies lost a tough, close game. If you look at the bigger picture, though, the Phillies did just about all you can ask of them: they went into New York and took one out of two against the Yankees. By splitting the road games, the Phils took home field advantage away from the Yankees and now have three games in Philly vs. the two left in New York. While it would have been even better had the Phillies won both games, even the most jaded fan has to be pleased that the Phillies can win the series by taking care of business at home.

Keep your heads up, Phillies fans. A.J. Burnett isn't going to have another game like that. There is still plenty of series left to be played and the Phillies bats still have plenty more hits in them.

3 more to go: Lee, Utley carry Phillies to victory

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Up until today, it seemed like the dominance of Cliff Lee was just something us Philly fans, and maybe some Cleveland fans, knew about. After his World Series Game 1 performance, the whole world understands what we have known all along: Cliff Lee is incredible.

For Lee, it was just another dominating performance, throwing a complete game against the Yankees to lead the Phillies to a 6-1 win. Lee made it look easy all night long, mixing in a few nonchalant defensive plays while striking out 10 batters and allowing only 6 hits. He made the potent Yankee offense look feeble all night, as most hitters that didn't strike out sprayed weak hits to the infielders. Cliff Lee was all business, making quick work of all the supposed sluggers in the Yankee lineup.

The offensive standout for the Phillies on the night was Chase Utley, who got the Phillies on the board in the first inning with a homer, then later added another homer. In fact, Utley was the entire offense for the Phillies until they added some insurance runs in the 8th and 9th innings. Even though they scored only two runs off of him, the Phillies kept the pressure on Yankees starter C.C. Sabathia all night long by staying patient and forcing Sabathia to throw strikes. By forcing Sabathia to make extra pitches, the Phillies were able to chase him from the game and get their insurance runs off of the weak Yankee bullpen.

The team that no one outside of Philadelphia picked to win the World Series just made a huge statement. They went on the road, gave up only one run against the best lineup in baseball and beat the opposing teams best pitcher. Even more importantly, the Phillies have already snatched away home field advantage from New York and have put all the pressure on the Yankees Game 2 starter, A.J. Burnett.

There is a reason they are the World Champs, folks. The Phillies always win the first game of a series and put themselves in the drivers seat. By doing that, they hold all the cards and force the other team to try to adjust to them. Now let's see if Pedro Martinez can pull a Cliff Lee in Game 2 and really give the Phillies a huge advantage.

Phillies vs. Yankees World Series breakdown

Picture via Getty and New York Times

They are the two best teams in baseball. It's Philadelphia vs. New York. Broad Street vs. Broadway (sort of). The bloodstripes vs. the pinstripes. Can you ask for a better World Series than this? Here is my complete position by position breakdown of the World Series:

Starting Pitching:
Phillies: Cliff Lee, Pedro Martinez, Cole Hamels
Yankees: C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte

Both teams appear ready to go with a three team rotation, although the Phillies are holding their cards close to the vest, refusing to announce what they will do with their rotation after the first three games. The Phillies will go with Cliff Lee in Game One, Pedro in Game Two at Yankee Stadium since the veteran won't be fazed, and Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP, in Game Three back in Philly. The Phillies also have plenty of depth; should they choose to go with four starters, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ are both capable of giving solid innings. As for the Yankees, they are set with their rotation, with Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte taking the ball every third game. The Yankees rotation depth is non-existent but it won't matter since they won't have to go four starters deep. As for which rotation is better, the Phillies clearly have better depth but that won't matter in this series. Both teams also appear to be very even across each pitching match-up, with Sabathia and Lee canceling each other out and Pettitte and Hamels basically a wash. Pedro Martinez is the wild card, he likely holds the key to whether the Phillies win this series or not. Edge: Even

Bullpen:
Phillies: Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton
Yankees: Mariano Rivera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, David Robertson

In every series, the Phillies bullpen is supposed to be their weak spot. On paper, the Phillie 'pen isn't supposed to be as good as it has been, but Charlie Manuel has pushed all the right buttons and gotten the most out of this group. With Brad Lidge seemingly back to his old self, Ryan Madson getting key outs every game and Scott Eyre and J.A. Happ getting the lefties out, the Phillie bullpen is solid. The Yankee bullpen is even better, though, as they can really lock down a game if they have the lead entering the 7th inning. With the best postseason closer in baseball history, the Yankees have to be given the edge here. The Phillies do have the better depth in their 'pen, but the Yanks top-end talent is just better. Edge: Yankees

Catcher:
Phillies Carlos Ruiz
Yankees: Jorge Posada

The casual baseball fan would think this is a no-brainer selection with the Yankees having a big edge. Well, if you've watched a Phillies game this postseason, you know better. Carlos Ruiz not only calls a great game behind the plate, he is also Mr. Choochtober, getting the big hit time and again. Ruiz should be a household name after this series. Edge: Phillies

Infield:
Phillies: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pedro Feliz
Yankees: Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez

I've called the Phillie infield the best in baseball but this Yankee infield gives them a run for their money. There is no weak spot in either infield, with power coming from two of the positions, speed coming from the middle and solid defense all around. The heart of the lineup for each teams potent offense comes from the infield, with all the table-setters and big RBI guys here. It's too close to call. Edge: Even

Outfield:
Phillies: Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth
Yankees: Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher

Besides Melky Cabrera, the Yankees outfield has been very disappointing this postseason. Johnny Damon is a shell of his former self and Nick Swisher can't hit at all, meaning the Phillies have a huge edge with their outfielders. Jayson Werth has continued to amaze with his big homers and Shane Victorino seems like he is always on base. Raul Ibanez has been the lone dim spot although he is still hitting better than Swisher. Edge: Phillies

DH/Bench:
Phillies: Ben Francisco, Greg Dobbs, Matt Stairs, Miguel Cairo
Yankees: Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner, Jose Molina, Jerry Hairston Jr.

Ben Francisco is likely to get a lot of playing time when the Yankees are using lefties in the AL park. The "throw-in" in the Cliff Lee deal is easily the Phillies best bench player, but after that there is a major drop-off. Same goes for the Yankees, who have Hideki Matsui at DH and nothing else. Hard to see either team getting much from these guys. Edge: Even

Manager:
Phillies: Charlie Manuel
Yankees: Joe Girardi

One manages with his gut, the other by the book. I'll give the advantage to the guy who is smart enough to understand every situation and trust his instincts over the guy who has to look up what to do. Joe Girardi has been under heavy fire for some of his questionable calls, going so far as to jeopardize the Yankees in nearly every game. Charlie Manuel has been the exact opposite, quickly becoming one of the best managers in the game. Edge: Phillies

My prediction:
It's close, but I give the Phillies a 3-1-3 edge over the Yankees, leading me to pick the Phillies in 7. I am expecting an epic series, one that should feature plenty of scoring with several lead changes in every game. I only expect Games 1, 4 and 7, when Lee and Sabathia square off, to have the total scores under double digits. As for why the Phillies will win, I simply think they have more depth at pitching that will eventually be important as the series wears on. The Yankees haven't faced an offense like the Phillies this postseason so I expect their pitchers to be tested early and often.

Repeating is extremely hard to do but the Phillies seem poised to be the first repeat champions in nearly a decade. This should be a long, hard series, but the Phillies have proven again and again that they can overcome all odds. Go Phillies, BEAT NEW YORK!

Bring on the Yankees! Philly vs. New York in the World Series

After what only seemed like an eternity, the Phillies have finally got an opponent for the World Series: the hated Yankees. It wasn't pretty, but the Yanks knocked off the Angels on Sunday night to win the ALCS in six games. The Angels put up a fight but the Yankees proved to be much too strong.

The Phillies and Yankees will be facing off in a World Series for the second time in history, with the two also playing in 1950, when the Yanks beat the Phillies in 4 straight. You can guarantee that history will not repeat itself in 2009.

Here is the schedule for the World Series. The Yankees are the home team because the AL won the All Star Game:

Game One: Wednesday, October 28th: Phillies @ Yankees
Game Two: Thursday, October 29th: Phillies @ Yankees
Game Three: Saturday, October 31st: Yankees @ Phillies
Game Four: Sunday, November 1st: Yankees @ Phillies
Game Five: Monday, November 2nd: Yankees a@ Phillies
Game Six: Wednesday, November 4th: Phillies @ Yankees
Game Seven: Thursday, November 5th: Phillies @ Yankees