Ace lefthander Cole Hamels, MVP winner in both the NLCS and the World Series, reliever Ryan Madson, who saw action in 11 of the Phillies 13 post-season games, centerfielder Shane Victorino, along with Joe Blanton, who went undefeated with the Phils including 2 post-season wins — all inked deals with the World Champions avoiding arbitration hearings.

Hamels, who went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA in the regular season and established himself as the club’s ace winning 4 post-season games including 1 World Series win and 6 great innings in the decisive 5th game, led the way inking a 3-year, $20.5M deal with the Phils.

AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston describes Hamels’ deal, his reaction to it and summarizes Hamels’ season for Yahoo sports;

The deal avoids an arbitration hearing and keeps the 25-year-old Hamels in Philadelphia through the 2011 season. Hamels went 4-0 in the postseason with a 1.80 ERA as the Phillies claimed their first championship since 1980. He won the first game in three playoff series and took the MVP award in the NL championship series against the Dodgers.

Hamels, who lives in Philadelphia year round, said he still gets goosebumps every time he watches the World Series highlights video and believes the roster is still good enough to contend for years.

“If I’m able to go out there and repeat, I think it’s just going to make it a really nice, sweet time for this baseball city,” Hamels said.

Reliever Ryan Madson, who was 4-2 with a 3.05 ERA in 76 games and finished the season as primary set-up man for perfect 48-48 closer Brad Lidge, reached agreement with the Phillies on a 3-year, $12M deal.  AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi outlines  the deal with Madson and Phillies GM Amaro’s thoughts;

“Ryan has emerged as a quality setup reliever and big game pitcher,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said in a statement. “We’re very happy that he will be part of our bullpen for at least another three years.”

The deal calls for Madson to receive a $1 million signing bonus, $2 million this season, $4.5 million in 2010 and $4.5 million in 2011. He would have been eligible for free agency after next season, and the deal is unusual because many of agent Scott Boras’ clients opt to become free agents before agreeing to long-term deals.

He can earn $1.5 million annually in performance bonuses if he becomes a closer: $150,000 each for 30, 35, 40 and 45 games finished; $200,000 each for 50 and 55, and $250,000 each for 60 and 65.

Popular centerfielder Shane Victorino, one of the heroes of the Phillies World Championship run, inked a deal for 2009 worth $3.125 million.  The Ticker news service  recaps Victorino’s season;

Victorino hit a grand slam home run in the National League Division Series against Milwaukee and a game-tying homer in Game Four of the NLCS against Los Angeles.

Victorino, originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 1999, hit .293 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI and 36 stolen bases in 146 games last season, his fourth with Philadelphia.

In addition, mid-season acquisition strarter Joe Blanton also came to terms with the club on a one-year deal worth $5.475 million.  Blanton, it will be recalled, won 2 of his 3 post-season starts (the 3rd - a no-decision) and was the first pitcher in decades to homer in the World Series.  AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum recalls the scene for Yahoo sports as Blanton homered amidst the Phils’ 10-2 World Series game 4 win;

Blanton shut his eyes, swung and became the first pitcher in 34 years to homer in the Series.

Still unsigned are power-hitting 1st baseman Ryan Howard, outfielder  Jayson Werth who clubbed 24 homers, had 67 RBIs and hit .273 and reliever Chad Durbin — all potential arbitration cases.  Howard is on record asking for $18 million in arbitration.             

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Power-hitting free agent leftfielder Pat Burrell, a fixture in the Phillies lineup for 9 seasons appears headed for different surroundings following the signing on Saturday of lefthanded hitting leftfielder Raul Ibanez.

Burrell, who clubbed 251 homers in his 9 season career, all with the Phillies, was also a prolific strikeout victim going down on strikes 1,273 times in that span.  His greatest seasons were in 2002, when he hit 37 homers, drove in 116 run, hit .282 but struck out 153 times, and 2005 when he hit 32 homers, drove in 117 runs and hit .281 but struck out 160 times batting 5th behind 1st baseman Ryan Howard in Howard’s rookie season.

Philadelphia Daily News writer Paul Hagen wrote a great piece on Burrell’s years with the Phils which I am excerpting here;

 ”I kind of had a feeling there was a strong possibility, you know, that I wasn’t in the cards,” Burrell said during a lengthy phone conversation over the weekend. “At the same time, I hadn’t heard anything from the team.

“I’m disappointed. I can’t lie about that. But I can’t say I’m upset about it, either, because when I think about my time there I have nothing but good things to say. The city, the fans, have been behind me from the very beginning. That’s the hard part, especially with respect to what happened last year, with us winning the whole thing. It was very meaningful to me to be a part of something like that. But you have to move on.

“You know, there’s a business [aspect] to this sport. And as a player you’d better learn to accept that or else it’s going to be pretty frustrating for you. I was aware that, most likely, the team was going to go the other way. At the same time, I thought there was a chance I might be back.”

He’s still just 32 years old. He hit 33 home runs last season. Only three righthanded hitters in the National League  (Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun and St. Louis’ Ryan Ludwick and  Albert Pujols) had more. While he rarely shared himself with the media, he was immensely popular with his teammates, who respected his toughness and work ethic. And he was consistent in talking about how much he enjoyed playing in Philadelphia and that he would love to return.

On the other hand, he recognized that he was making $14 million and doesn’t run as well as he used to and routinely came out of games for a defensive replacement or a pinch-runner in the late innings.

So after he doubled against the wall to lead off the bottom of the seventh against Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the World Series - the score was tied, 3-3, at the time - the realization of what it all might mean started to hit him when Eric Bruntlett trotted onto the field to run for him.

“I was coming off the field and I started looking around and thinking, ‘This might be it.’ At the same time, here we were possibly about to win the World Series,” he said. “On a personal level, I remember hitting the ball and thinking it was way over the fence. Then getting a chance to be on second with nobody out and [Shane] Victorino up, I thought we were going to get [Bruntlett] over and we were going to get him in. That’s kind of where I was at.”

That’s exactly what happened. Bruntlett went to third when Victorino grounded out to second and scored what proved to the winning run when Pedro Feliz singled.

During the chaos in the celebration that followed the second world championship in franchise history, Burrell remembered club president Dave Montgomery seeking him out.

He embraced the city in a way few professional athletes have. And the city, in return, returned the emotion. Sure, there were boos when he fell into a prolonged slump. Overall, though, the fans were often more supportive than might have been expected.

Burrell ranks 3rd on the list of all-time Phillies career homer leaders in back of Hall of Fame 3rd baseman Mike Schmidt (548 HRs) and outfielder  Del Ennis (259 HRs).

After the 2006 season when Burrell slumped to a .258 BA while still belting 24 HRs and driving 95 runs batting behind Howard in his [Howard’s] 58 homer, 149 RBI season, there was much trade discussion and about finding a more capable #5 hit to protect the big first baseman.  But various different variations of the stats showed that   Burrell performed more than capably as protection for Howard.

In 2007, Burrell followed with the same type of season (30 HRs, 97 RBIs, 120 strikeouts, but 114 walks and a .256 BA) as 2006, although he caught fire in the 2nd half as one of the leaders as the Phillies charged from 6 games back to overtake the Mets for the 2007 NL East title.

In 2008, Pat ‘the Bat’ roared out of the box and amassed 24 HRs by the end of July while batting between ,275 and .280 throughout before going into a deep slump in August in September only hitting 7 more homers and seeing his average slump from .271 at July 29 to .250 at the end of the regular season.   He had a fine Division and NLC series going 9 for 30 with 3 homers, including 2 homers, 4 RBIs in the 6-2 division series winner over the Brewers.  Burrell went cold in the World Series going 1 for 14, but his hit was a big one, the leadoff double in bottom of the seventh which resulted in pinch-runner Bruntlett scoring from second on Pedro Feliz’s single as the Phils won the rain-pro-longed 5th and decisive game of the series.

As Bob Hope would affectionately sing; “Thanks for the memories…”  Despite Raul Ibanez’s seeming more consistent bat, Pat ‘the Bat’ Burrell will be missed.    

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Following a 48 hour rain suspension, the Phiillies and the Tampa Bay Rays, tied 2-2 after the top of the sixth inning, renewed play by trading single runs in the bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh before 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz singled in the winning run. J.C. Romero and closer Brad Lidge were lights-out in the eighth and ninth innings as the Phillies bested the Rays for the World Series Title by 4 games to 1 and a 4-3 score.

Ace lefthander Cole Hamels, who didn’t get his 4th post-season win, was awarded the Series MVP award for having pitched a solid 7 innings in series game 1 as well as another excellent outing going 6 innings in game 5 under treacherous weather conditions.

Reliever Grant Balfour stayed in the game to begin the Phillies’ sixth inning and gave up an inning opening double to Geoff Jenkins who pinch-hit for Hamels.  Shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ sacrifice bunted Balfour’s 1st pitch to 3rd base moving Jenkins to 3rd with 1 out.  Rightfielder Jayson Werth followed by lining Balfour’s 2-2 pitch to centerfield scoring Jenkins to put the Phils up 3-2.   J.P. Howell took over from Balfour struck 2nd baseman Chase Utley out on 3 pitches and got 1st baseman Ryan Howard to pop out to 3rd base to end the inning.  But the Phils had taken a 3-2 lead and it looked like Hamels would actually get his 5th post-season win.

Ryan Madson took over pitching duties in the seventh inning and struck out catcher Dioner Navarro for out 1.  But then Rocco Baldelli nailed Madson’s first offering for a solo homer to left and the game was again tied.  Two pitches later, shortstop Jason Bartlett singled to left and advanced to 2nd base on a Howell’s sacrifice bunt to the pitcher.  Manager Manuel then went to J.C. Romero who was greeted with lead-off hitter 2nd baseman Akinori Iwamura’s infield grounder over 2nd base. Bartlett went to 3rd and tried to score on the play when he was fooled on Utley’s alert bluff throw to first. Bartlett was a sitting duck being tagged out at home on the play as the Rays side was retired and Romero and the Phillies escaped a Rays go-ahead threat.

In the bottom of the seventh, leftfielder Pat Burrell led off by lining
Howell’s 1-1 pitch off the centerfield wall for a double.  Eric Bruntlett ran for Burrell and stayed in the game to play leftfield in the late innings.
Pedro Feliz then lined Howell’s 1 strike pitch to centerfield to drive in what turned out to be the winning run.  Catcher Carlos Ruiz and Romero both grounded out to end the inning but the Phils had the lead by 4-3.

After leftfielder Carl Crawford singled to open the eighth inning, centerfielder B.J. Upton grounded into a shortstop-to-2nd-to-1st doubleplay and 1st baseman Carlos Pena lined out to leftfield to retire the side.  Romero, who threw 14 pitches was credited with his 2nd win of the World Series.
 
The Phillies went down in the eighth as only Chase Utley reached on a  David Price walk.

Closer Brad Lidge, who went perfect for the season with 48 save in 48 opportunities through the World Series, rang up the Rays in the ninth inning.  Lidge only gave up a 1 out single to catcher Navarro and wound up the series in true Tug McGraw style — a swinging third strike on pinch hitter  Eric Hinske for the final out.  Then it was fireworks, horn-honking auto caravans and party-time in Philly with Harry Kalas giving another rendition of the Ole’ Blue Eyes tune — “High Hopes.”

Rays reliever J.P. Howell, who gave up the winning run in the seventh, was charged with his 2nd loss of the World Series and his 3rd of the post-season.

For the Phillies, 45 year old Jamie Moyer and all, it was their 2nd World Series title in the franchise’s 126-year history.  AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi noted for Yahoo sports;

The bullpen led the NL in ERA (3.22) and winning percentage (.589) during the regular season, and was even better in the playoffs. They were the biggest reason the Phillies were 89-0 this year when leading after eight innings— including 10 postseason wins.

MVP winner Hamels received both the MVP trophy and keys to a new sports car.

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UPDATE:  Tim Brown of Yahoo sports is reporting:

As rain and chilly temperatures rendered Citizens Bank Park unplayable again, commissioner Bud Selig pushed the continuation of the Philadelphia Phillies’ potential clincher to 8:37 p.m. (ET) Wednesday.

Wednesday is expected to be cold and wet with a possible break later in the afternoon.

Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman said by email Tuesday afternoon the Rays would leave the game in the hands of their bullpen, rather than come back with a starter. The Phillies are expected to do the same.

Lefthanders Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir faced-off in a rematch of game 1.  But after the Phillies loaded the sacks and notched 2 first inning runs on centerfielder Shane Victorino’s leftfield single, the Rays came back with single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to tie amidst increasing rain and increasingly torrid playing conditions before commissioner Bud Selig suspended the game in the mid-sixth inning.

The Phillies hoped to end the series on Monday in Philadelphia.

ESPN is reporting;

The game has tentatively been scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, weather permitting.

I’m not going to take Selig to task for the game suspension, or when the game was called.   I’m just dealing with the game as it is.  The Phils had scoring shots in both the fourth and fifth innings — bases jammed in the fourth, but couldn’t deliver.   Kazmir walked 6 Phils in 4 innings and the Phils had left 9 runners stranded through 5 innings of at-bats. 

After Hamels quickly disposed of the Rays in the first, the Phils loaded the bases against Kazmir with two outs as rightfielder Jayson Werth walked, 2nd baseman Chase Utley was hit by a pitch and leftfielder Pat Burrell was walked on 5 pitches.  Victorino then lined a 2-1 pitch to leftfield to put the Phils up 2-0. 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz singled to reload the bases as Phils fans chomped at the bit in eager anticipation.  But Kazmir coaxed a fly out to leftfield by catcher Carlos Ruiz, who had been clutch in game 3.

Both Kazmir and Hamels breezed through the second and third innings.

Tampa Bay scored its first run in the fourth inning as 1st baseman Carlos Pena doubled to rightfield and scored on 3rd baseman Evan Longoria’s single to centerfield.

Amidst continuing steady rain, the Phillies tried to rally in the fourth laoding the bases with 2 outs as shortstop Jimmy Rollins and Werth both walked after Hamels reached on a fielders’ choice grounder.  But Utley grounded out to 2nd base leaving everyone stranded.

The Phillies got their first two runners on as Kazmir walked both 1st baseman Ryan Howard and Burrell.  But reliever Grant Balfour replaced Kazmir and got Victorino to fly out to leftfield and got both Feliz and Ruiz to pop out to 1st base.  Kazmir had thrown 103 pitches through five innings,

As the Phils started the sixth up 2-1, it seemed obvious, rain or not, that they needed to score more runs to win this thing.

As the steady downpour of rain became heavier, the Rays tied the game in the sixth as centerfielder B.J. Upton singled and stole 2nd base as described by AP baseball writer Ben Walker for Yahoo sports;

Carlos Pena hit a tying, two-out single in the sixth for the Rays, and the umpires called it moments later. By then, every ball and every pitch had become an adventure because of the miserable conditions.

“The infield was tough. The ball would do funny things,” Phillies second baseman Chase Utley said. “It was in bad shape. It was not playable.”

There has never been a rain-shortened game in Series history, and this was the first suspension. Whenever this one resumes, it will pick up where it left off, with the Phils about to bat in the bottom of the sixth.

I hold that it was best that the game be called.  And Hamels, as I understand MLB rules, still would be credited with the win regardless whether he bats, or is replaced by a pinch hitter IF the Phils score in the sixth and hold the lead.  I would not want to conjecture or second-guess what could happen in the sixth when the game is resumed  were it to have been stopped after the first 2 outs.

Here is a citing of the MLB rules for determining the winning pitcher;

             WINNING AND LOSING PITCHER

10.19 (a) Credit the starting pitcher with a game won only if he has pitched at least five complete innings and his team not only is in the lead when he is replaced but remains in the lead the remainder of the game.

(4) The winning relief pitcher shall be the one who is the pitcher of record when his team assumes the lead and maintains it to the finish of the game.

EXCEPTION: Do not credit a victory to a relief pitcher who is ineffective in a brief appearance, when a succeeding relief pitcher pitches effectively in helping his team maintain the lead. In such cases, credit the succeeding relief pitcher with the victory.

(d) When a pitcher is removed for a substitute batter or substitute runner, all runs scored by his team during the inning in which he is removed shall be credited to his benefit in determining the pitcher of record when his team assumes the lead.

Whether Hamels bats, or a pinch hitter, and whether we see Ryan Madson, or Chad Durbin, or maybe even rookie lefthander J.A. Happ in the seventh — we’ll see what move Charlie makes.

I just hope that the Phils clubhouse gets over its’ anger and gets down to business.  Otherwise, curses are self-fulfilling prophecies.

Fans should remember that the Phils still hold a 3-1 lead in games.  We’re in the driver’s seat.  Regardless of how the final 2 1/2 innings go down, there are still a maximum of 7 games to a World Series.  I’ll just leave it at that. 

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Four hours before the Phillies go out to try to end the series in Philadelphia, I sit in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel reminiscing about
Philly sports fans on the eve of winning a championship.

I saw six such eves in my nearly 51 years living in the Philadelphia are.  Now I am experiencing my sixth, from thousands of miles away.

But I can still conjure up, with inevitability, driving by and exchanging one-finger signs with other drivers and pedestrians. That 1-sign speaks volumes about how close these 2008 Phillies are to winning it all.

So I sit, conjuring up Greer, “Wally Wonder”, Kangaroo Kid Cunningham, Chamberlain, Van Brocklin-to-McDonald, “Lefty”, Bowa, Schmitty, the Bull, Clarke, Barber, MacLeish, “The Hammer” and more.

Four more hours until we begin to see if Cole Hamels, the heir to Lefty notoriety, wins a record 5th post-season game in 2008 and if the offense can bring this thing home.  Four more hours until it begins to emerge who tonight’s hero is; Utley, Howard, the “Flyin’ Hawaiian”, Lidge, Pat “The Bat”…

But don’t count out those Rays.  They got up 3 games to 1 on the Red Sox and ended up having to win the seventh game to make the Series.

However, it is nostalgic to recall the blaring of horns and dancing in the streets on the night that Philly won.     Go Phillies!

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1st Baseman Ryan Howard pounded 2 homers and drove in 5 runs while going 3 for 4.  Starter Joe Blanton helped his own cause with a solo homer while holding the Rays through six fine innings as the Phils uncorked their offense.  Rightfielder Jayson Werth chipped in with a 2 run homer as the  Phillies pummelled Tampa Bay pitchers to win by a 10-2 score on Sunday and go up by 3 games to 1 in the series.

Joe Blanton was a horse out of the starting blocks, his fastball and off-speed pitches working to near perfection as the Phillies offense, working on nearly all cylinders, struck against Andy Sonnanstine for single runs in the first and third innings.  Blanton retired 11 of the first 13 Rays hitters he faced before leftfielder Carl Crawford went yard for a solo homer to rightfield on a 1-2 pitch with 2 out in the fourth.   The Phillies offense finally broke out of it’s doldrums of the first 3 games.

AP baseball writer Ronald Blum provides this note on the Phils’ offense for Yahoo sports;

The Phillies were 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position and are 6-for-47 in the Series.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins opened the game for the Phils with a double to rightfield and advanced to 3rd base on rightfielder Jayson Werth’s fly out to rightfield.  Sonnanstine walked 2nd baseman Chase Utley on 4 pitches and went to 2nd base as Howard reached on a fielder’s choice to the pitcher that netted no outs as Rollins eluded a rundown between 3rd and home.  Sonnanstine walked leftfielder Pat Burrell on 5 pitches forcing in Rollins with the 1st Phils run.  Centerfielder Shane Victorino followed by grounding into a fielder’s choice with Utley out at home — bases still jammed.   3rd baseman Pedro Feliz flied out to centerfield to end the inning.  Rollins, like Howard, had a big game going 3 for 5 and scoring 3 runs.

Sonnanstine got through the second inning okay only surrendering a Rollins single to centfield.  But in the third, Utley led off reaching on a fielding error by 2nd baseman Akinori Iwamura.   Howard pounded a long single to right sending Utley to 3rd.  Burrell and Victorino both popped out to shortstop.  Feliz singled to left scoring Utley with the Phils’ 2nd run.  Catcher Carlos Ruiz, the hero of Saturday’s game 3, singled through the hole at 2nd base to load the bases.  But Blanton fouled out to 1st base to end the threat.

After Crawford’s fourth inning homer narrowed the score to 2-1, the Phils struck Sonnanstine for 3 fourth inning runs as he struggled with his offspeed pitches throughout.  Rollins reached on a 2nd fielding error by 2nd baseman Iwamura.  Werth walked on 4 pitches as Rollins took 2nd.  After Utley struck out, Howard pounded a 3 run homer to leftfield as the Phils went up by 5-1.  Victorino ended the inning by popping out to 3rd base.

In the fifth Blanton got the first 2 outs before pinch hitter (for
Sonnanstine) Eric Hinske pounded a 2-1 pitch from Blanton for a solo homer to centerfield to cut the score to 5-2.

But with 2 out in the Phillies’ fifth inning, Blanton seemingly closed his eyes with the count 2-1 as reliever Edwin Jackson served up a pitch in his wheelhouse.  I can’t believe that rip.  I tell you, he looked like Greg Luzinski.  Blanton blistered it out to leftfield and the Phils’ lead was 6-2. 

Meanwhile, when Blanton was replaced after six innings inning having thrown 99 pitches, Chad Durbin, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson shutdown the Rays on 1 hit in the seventh with Madson retiring the side in order in the eighth on 9 pitches.  Madson had 3 strikeouts in his 1 1/3 innings of work.

Phillies Nations’ Tim Malcolm had these thoughts on Blanton;

Blanton pitched superb. He went six innings, giving up just two runs and striking out seven. He located all his pitches, never ever getting into much trouble while making the Rays look dead on arrival. The bullpen cleaned it up without a dent, per usual.

In the eighth, the Phils exploded on Rays’ relievers Dan Wheeler and  Trever Miller for 4 runs as Werth and Howard added icing on the cake each hitting a 2 run homer to cap a Phillies performance where they totally out-classed Tampa Bay in every component of the game. 

AP baseball writer Blum further notes;

Blanton became the first pitcher in 34 years to homer in the World Series…

Blanton, with a Greg Luzinski body type that’s a throwback to an era of pudgy pitchers, gave up four hits—including solo homers to Carl Crawford and pinch-hitter Eric Hinske—struck out seven and walked two in six innings.

Just 2-for-33 (.061) with one RBI in his career to that point, Blanton homered in the fifth off Edwin Jackson. It was just the 15th home run by a pitcher in the Series, and the first since Oakland’s Ken Holtzman in 1974.  No NL pitcher had homered since the Cardinals’ Bob Gibson in 1968.

If the Phillies win Monday, it would mark the first time the Series has gone five straight years without reaching a Game 6. The only other four-year stretch without a Game 6 was 1913-16. …  Lenny Dykstra (1993) is the only other Phillies player with a multihomer Series game.

On Monday, lefthanders Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir face-off in a rematch of game 1.  Hamels has a shot at sealing the Rays’ fate and ending the series in Philadelphia.  If need be, the teams have Tuesday off for travel to return to Tampa Bay where they would play games 6 and 7.

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