Off-Season Ideas...

Sign Chone Figgins at Any Cost. (High Payment, High Reward for Pedro Feliz’s Replacement)

Figgins could bump Jimmy Rollins out of the lead-off spot. The speedster is a solid hitter who consistently gets on base, hence, all the necessary ingredients to lead-off such a potent line-up. Rollins then would become a 6 or 7 hole hitter, with his “pop” this is a role in which he could thrive. Imagine the difficulty of having to fill out this line-up card:
1. Figgins
2. Victorino
3. Utley
4. Howard
5. Werth
6. Ibanez
7. Rollins
8. Ruiz

Shore Up the ‘Pen (Keep Park and Sign a Situational Left-Hander.)

Chan Ho Park was one of the top relievers in all of baseball once he found his niche. As a reliever, Park posted a 2-2 record with a 2.52 ERA in 50 innings of work. Remember to credit J.A. Happ’s emergence for Park’s return to the bullpen. He drop-kicked a man in a baseball game before, how can’t you keep this guy!?
Adding a situational left-handed arm is a MUST this off-season. With Will Ohman, Josh Grabow, and Joe Beimel on the market, expect the Phillies to land one of them. This move could be huge for a team not knowing Scott Eyre’s situation or how J.C. Romero will be when he returns.

Back-up Catcher. (“Torre”)

Yorvit Torrealba would work in ideally as a back-up to Carlos Ruiz. He’s an average defender with a big bat that could help out an already strong line-up. He’d be highly welcomed in another hitter’s park.

Restore the bench. (Jerry Hairston Jr., utility infielder)

Add a flexible utility infielder to replace Eric Bruntlett and Miguel Cairo. Let Greg Dobbs work back into becoming the game’s top pinch-hitter. And make the biggest move in your attempt to mend the bench by bringing in Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Yankees.

DO NOT Trade Cole Hamels

Keep Cole Hamels no matter what! Nothing/no one can replace Hamels, he’s still the “Real Deal.” With NLCS and World Series MVPs to show for at the cool age of 25, Hamels is still the key to this nucleus. Remember the remarkable run he had in ’08, well he really is that good. Hamels and Cliff Lee will be the best 1-2 punch in baseball next season.

Don’t Sell the Farm for Roy Halladay.

Hold on to the “untouchables,” Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor, they are worth more than “Doc.” I would expect a team who received Cliff Lee & “The Ben Francisco Treat” for a box of baseballs to maintain its top talent.

Michael Taylor

Bring the 6’8 Taylor up to “the show” now. He’s proven to be one of the top 3 prospects in the organization, let him showcase his prowess. Expect Taylor to occupy the corner outfield for years to come, especially with Ibanez aging in left field. Taylor’s 5-tool status reminds me of another Phillie prospect, Marlon Byrd.

Bring in a #5 Starter for Competition.

Go into Spring Training with a competition for Jamie Moyer’s coveted 5th starter slot. Competition tends to bring out the best in everybody.

25 Things...

1. Where did all the Offense go?
The Phillies' offense went seemingly unnoticed in key situations against a prepared Yankee pitching staff.

2. Other than Cliff Lee...
The Phillies were unable to present the Yanks with a clear threat outside of Clifton Phifer Lee. Even with Pedro Martinez's stellar game 2 performance, no other starter won a game besides Lee.

3. Charlie out-managed?!?
It's pretty fair to say that Charlie Manuel was indeed out-managed by the inferior Joe Girardi.
Manuel's managerial gaffes were a major difference in this series.

4. Matsui
World Series MVP Hideki Matsui was an absolute nightmare for Phillie pitchers, most notably Pedro Martinez. Despite his being the steady DH only in the games at the New Yankee Stadium, Matsui went on to win the Series' Most Valuable Player.

5. Mariano Rivera
Rivera was Rivera. He's the greatest playoff closer of all-time and in this World Series the Panamanian certainly showed why. In clinching a 6-out save in game 2 and a 5-out finish to the non-save situation of game 6, Rivera continued his post-season mastery.

6. Clunk A-Rod?
Was Cole Hamels' clunking of Alex Rodriguez what woke him up for the rest of the Series? Until that pivotal at-bat in the 2nd inning of game 3, A-Rod had went 0 for 8 with 6 punch-outs. He would hit .416 with 6 RBI after that particular at-bat. Coincidence? We'll never know.

7. “Chase Utley, you ARE the man!”
Despite Matsui's explosion in game 6 and the Yanks' victory in this Series, Chase Utley was the best player in every single game. Utley's monster Series will be most remembered by his 3 HRs off of the mammoth Carsten Charles Sabathia.

8. Ryan Howard’s K record.
Unfortunately, Ryan Howard was able to set another record, this time in the World Series. Howard's 13 K's are now the most ever in a World Series. Yet, the numbers that define Howard most will be the astonishing numbers he posted in the NLDS and NLCS.

9. HK
Of course, this year above all else was for the Phillies beloved broadcaster Harold Norbert Kalas. The Phillies played in his honor and took with them his blue blazer and white shoes everywhere they went. One thing's for sure, Harry is proud of this particular team for its great accomplishments.

10. Damon’s Double Swipe
Johnny Damon's AB and then in the 9th inning of game 4 was the defining moment of this Series for me and many who watched. After Pedro Feliz's solo blast off of Joba Chamberlain in the 8th it appeared as if the Phillies could even the series at 2, but Damon made the heads up play, sprinting past Feliz on his way to 3rd. It's increidble to think that the Phightins put a shift on the same Mark Teixeira that at that point in the Series had had as many hits as Andy Pettitte.

11. Lights On Lidge?
In that same game 4, Brad Lidge was on the mound and gave up 3 runs in that nightmarish 9th that led to the Yanks 3-1 lead and ultimately, their parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Friday afternoon.

12. Myers-Hamels confrontation
While the confrontation between these two wasn't exactly what it had originally appeared to be, there was still no place for it in such a monumental series. Did this possibly lead to the Phightins' rather quick decision to not maintain Myers? Well many could probably tell you that Myers was likely on his way out anyway.

13. Why Worry When you Could’ve Been Happ!
My one question was why didn't Cliff Lee pitch game 4 , but that's another story. I don't mind Joe Blanton, but J.A. Happ at least should have seen some more action given that he had played such an instrumental role throughout this entire season. At least, if nothing else give me Happ in game 4 before Blanton, lefties were giving Yankee hitters the business in this Series, mostly Lee.
14. CHOOOOOOOOOOCH!
We all love Chooooooooooooooch, but if only he could carry his post-season prowess over into the regular season. His defensive work behind the plate is solid and Ru will continue to become a mainstay as the Phils' backstop. Chooch's career postseason average is now a staggering .303.

15. Too Many Miscues
The Phillies knew that if they had made too many mistakes it would eventually catch up and the Yanks would capitalize and that's exactly what happened in this series. The Phillies were the only team in this entire post-season that had a shot at defeating the Yanks, and minus a few miscues most likely would have done so.

16. In “The Boss” We Trust
Mr. Steinbrenner, a.k.a. "The Boss" was again able to pivk up the tab on an unprecedented 27th World Championship. And quite honestly, can you blame him? He's not doing anything wrong by MLB rules, be mad at the MLB for letting this occur, if for nothing else than during a time period when millions of Americans are living/surviving on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis.

17. Does it all come down to Money?
On A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira alone, the Yankees have invested about $425 million over the next handful of seasons. Just lovely isn't it? This team's free-agent tooling never ceases to amaze the casual baseball fan. It's what's wrong with the game, but quite frankly if I'm them I'd do the same exact thing.

18. Tough to Go Back2Back.
The Phillies showed heart, effort and perseverance in their quest for a Repeat, yet it's tough enough just getting there. This team showed why it will continue to be atop the Majors for years to come. This is the closest and certainly one of the best teams in all of sports.

19. C.C. ya’ next season.
Despite the Series just ending, I certainly believe that we will see these same Yankees again in the 2010 Fall Classic, which hopefully this time will end sometime in the month of September. Both of these teams are the best in their respective league's and represented them for a reason.

20. A-Fraud!
If you have failed to notice it by now, well then you probably will never see it. Alex Rodriguez is perhaps the fakest human being in the entire world and absolutely complained about everything under the sun in this Series. With a better maintaining of A-Rod, this Series could've turned out a lot different as S. Broad St. would've looked like a Sea of Red once again. As J-Roll quoted after the conclusion of the Series, "It'll still feel good to win it every other year.

21. The Mitchell Report.
Looking up and down the Yankee roster I couldn't help but think that I was reviewing the Mitchell Report. It's a sin and it represents another thing that's wrong with the game, but as Joe Buck & Tim McCarver made it out, "The Yanks are everything that's good about the game of baseball."

22. HollyWood, Where Art Thou?
Cole Hamels was nowhere to be found this post-season. Hamels' only shining moment of fall baseball came on October 8th with the birth of his son Caleb, unfortunately, he also lost to the Colorado Rockies on that same day.

23. I Miss Cole Hamels circa 2008.
The Cole Hamels of 2008 was the coolest thing ever, remember, "Really, how cool a name is Cole Hamels?" But that was so 2008, and this edition of Mr. Hamels was surfaced around poor location and pitch selection, making for his sub .500 record.

24. Who’s Your Daddy?
Pedro Martinez is not to blame for the Series loss against the Yankees. Martinez went from a mid-season pick-up in which the Phillies didn't know what to expect to a guy pitching the biggest games on the biggest stages. Pedro is Pedro and he's one of the biggest gamers and best pitchers of his era.

25. Thanks!
This pretty much speaks for itself.