falling asleep here

December 1 is the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to their free agents. The Phillies have four: Jamie Moyer, Pat Burrell, Rudy Seanez, and Tom Gordon. Jamie Moyer is likely to get an offer. Maybe Pat Burrell. Rudy Seanez is more iffy and Tom Gordon unlikely.

On the minor league front, the Phillies resigned Mike Cervenak, Andy Tracy, and John Suomi. They also picked up RHP, and Philadelphia-area native, Mike Koplove. Formerly with the D'backs and the Dodgers, he signed a minor league deal and will be invited to spring training.

New GM Ruben Amaro has been busy for sure but the offseason so far has been a big yawn. Things should start picking up after tomorrow.

utley and feliz facing rehab

Pedro Feliz had a back operation last Thursday and Chase Utley had a hip operation on Monday. Both procedures went well. Feliz, who will now have 8 to 12 weeks of rehab, should be ready for spring training late in February. Utley, however, is still questionable for Opening Day. He faces four to six months of rehab. Ouch. Amazing what he was still able to do during the season and postseason with that balky hip.

the pirates take the plunge

The Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday signed two 20-year-old Indian 'pitchers' to free-agent contracts. Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, who have never played baseball, were finalists earlier this year in an Indian reality show called "Million Dollar Arm". They then came to the US and worked out with pitching coach Tom House. A recent try-out before 30 major league scouts brought them to the attention of the Pirates. Wonder how Bucco fans are taking the latest move by their team, mired in wretchedness for way too long. For what it's worth, the move is the first time that the Pirates have ventured into the Asian market.

Yesterday I heard Tommy Lasorda on Philadelphia radio. Lasorda, who is from the area and was originally drafted by the Phillies, gave kudos to the Phils on their World Series championship. "If it can't be us, I'm happy that it's them," was the message. Lasorda was on a visit home. Not a huge fan of that Dodger blue stuff but it was sad to hear him sounding unlike his usual hale and hearty, blustery self.

Last night the 76ers played the Bobcats in Charlotte. Larry Brown, now coach of the Bobcats, was interviewed on radio duringthe halftime show and almost immediately mentioned how much he missed Philadelphia, especially with all that went on there in October. His family, he said, was there for all of it. Sweet to hear that Larry, one of the best coaches ever, still keeps those Philadelphia ties strong.

Hmm, just caught an unknown face on ESPN news talking in oh-so pedestrian terms about hot stove baseball. He was also wearing an awful shirt and tie (colors did not work, at least not on my TV) and sporting a Buster Olney haircut. Surprise, surprise, it was Keith Law, who often sounds pompous and arrogant when I read him but was bland, boring, and Midwestern this afternoon. I'll take the written word.

la damnation de faust

Armed with lots of water and lots of throat lozenges, I went yesterday to my first Met simulcast of the year to see La Damnation de Faust by Hector Berlioz. A couple of months ago I woke from a nap to hear La symphonie fantastique playing on the radio and wondered if I had woken to a dream. Berlioz does that to you. La Damnation de Faust is another fantastic piece, called a "dramatic legend in four parts" by its composer, who never intended it to be staged. Opera companies all over the world, however, have been doing that for well over a century.

Yesterday's production starred the marvelous Susan Graham as Marguerite, the lovesick young woman who is sentenced to death for killing her mother, the lyrical Marcello Giordani as the tortured Faust, and the very sardonic John Relyea as Mephistopheles. When interviewed backstage at intermission, Relyea took off the feathered cap he was saddled with and looked even more devilishly attractive. (He's also got a great voice.) The work makes much use of the chorus. Once again, the Met chorus was outstanding. They have been a mainstay of many of the Met simulcasts I have seen in the past couple of years. Hats off to them and their leader.

Faust unfolds in dreamlike sequences, starting on the plains of Hungary, with the dramatic Rackoczy march, morphing to the aged Faust's encounter with the devil, then to a drinking scene and on to his first glimpse of Marguerite. That happens as Faust is in a boat with the devil. The boat tips over and Faust plunges to the watery depth where he does a water dance with a sprite. Later in the sequence he sees Marguerite and falls in love. Eventually the two lovers come together. When Faust learns that Marguerite has inadvertently poisoned her mother and is condemned to hang, he signs his soul over to the devil. The wild ride to save Marguerite from hanging ends with Faust falling down to hell, consigned to the princes of the underworld. The opera ends with the redeemed Marguerite climbing a ladder to heaven.

Scenes shift with the logic of dream sequences and a lot of other things happen along the way. Yesterday's production was by Robert Lepage, who used video projections that changed in response to the singers' sound, heat, and movement. The set was a four-tiered grid, divided into 24 boxes. One of the dramatic uses of the grid was to show Hungarian soldiers marching off to war as their loved ones bade them farewell. Two tiers had soldiers marching backwards sandwiched between women walking forwards while waving good-bye. When Mephistopheles summons his evil sprites to bewitch Marguerite, each box was taken up by a lissome dancer, performing in a frenzy.

The screen, which was behind the grid, changed in myriad ways. At one point the soldiers were shown plowing through grass that parted before them as they went off to death. When Marguerite sings the famous aria about her love for Faust, her image appears behind her wavering and changing and finally engulfed in flames. The boat scene with Faust and Mephistopheles, too, hinged on seamless use of video projection.

I loved the production but think I would have to see it several more times truly to appreciate it. For the most part Lepage's incredible use of art and technology worked to tie the opera together but there were times when I had the feeling I was missing the music. Then there is the music, at once wild and restrained, which I would now like to hear again just on its own. I would also like to see the production in the opera house, where it would be seen unedited.

Once again, a big thanks to the Metropolitan Opera for continuing this knock-out series! It didn't cure my cold but it improved my outlook.

The Boys of Summer

softly as in a morning sunrise...

Sunrise this week from my hotel room in Ocean City, Maryland.

A view of dunes and surf at Ocean City.

More of that sunrise.

Dune crossings in Ocean City.

The Phillies have hired Pete Mackinin as their new bench coach. That means Sam Perlozzo takes over as the third base coach.

utley and feliz to have surgery

This bird was a steady visitor to my hotel balcony in Ocean City, Maryland, early this week. Or maybe I was his guest.

Though the man himself denied it, we all "knew" that Chase Utley was playing hurt for most of the season. It's now official. Next week Utley will have surgery on his right hip and will be out for four to six months. It is now clear that for much of the year Utley was playing through pain that affected his swing and muted his power numbers. It makes those incredible plays he made down the stretch--the fabulous 6-4-3 doubleplay he turned to clinch the NL East, the diving catches, the fake throw, to name a few--all the more impressive. Fingers crossed that the surgery is straightforward and that Utley is back to his old self sooner than later. Without him there would have been no postseason.

Same goes for Pedro Feliz, sidelined for almost a month this season with a lower back problem. He too is having surgery and will be out 8 to 12 weeks. That means he should be ready by spring training. Utley, however, will likely miss Opening Day.

What do the Phillies do in the meantime? Well, Eric Bruntlett gets his share of starts no doubt. And double-A infield prospect Jason Donald, who starred in the Olympics and has been tearing it up in the Arizona Fall League, may get a chance to show what he can do. Donald last night won the Dernell Stenson award, named for the Cincinnati Reds' prospect killed in a carjack during the 2003 AFL season. The award is given to the AFL player who best embodies the traits of good character, leadership, and hard work.

Later today the Phillies announced that they had traded outfield prospect Greg Golson, 23, to the Texas Rangers for outfield prospect John Mayberry, 24. Both were first-round draft picks. Golson is a speedster while Mayberry is a power hitter. I don't know what the trade means. Golson was a toolsy high school kid; Mayberry came out of Stanford, GM Amaro's alma mater. Guess the Phillies valued Mayberry's power over Golson's speed. I've seen Golson lots at Reading and always wanted to root for him but couldn't quite commit. When I saw him late this season in Philadelphia, he did not look ready. On the other hand, he did spend the postseason with the big club.

more from pine creek pottery

I had lunch yesterday with Willi Singleton, who is busy getting pots ready for his fall firing. I hadn't been out to Willi's Pine Creek Pottery in over a year. It was great to see him and the many pots that he's been working on. He's been experimenting with a bamboo ash glaze, making use of the bamboo that he's got growing along side the house. You can see a bit of the results on the vase in lower right above. The bamboo glaze is the creamy lighter part.

For lunch Willi made soba in broth, colorful and tasty with carrots and red peppers and served of course in bowls he had made. We then caught up a bit on things while drinking green tea, before I left to drive home through the fog and mist. Eastern Pennsylvania was feeling much like the Cotswolds yesterday.

pitchers and catchers!

Pots by Willi Singleton drying for firing next week at his Pine Creek Pottery in Kempton, PA.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training just three months from today! Yes, it all starts again on February 14. Everyone else reports on the 17th. Spring training is early this year because of the World Baseball Classic, which opens on March 5. Toronto is one of four sites hosting round one games. More in Miami, San Diego, and Tokyo.

Free agency starts today. C'mon, Jamie, sign on the dotted line.

After finally checking out the hysterically funny site Fire Joe Morgan, I learned today that it is closing down. Bummer!

ryan howard gets his second josh gibson

Ryan Howard has won his second Josh Gibson Award, presented each year to the leading home run hitters in the National and American Leagues. Howard led the NL with 48 homers and 146 RBI. He first won the award, presented by the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, in 2006. That year he also shared the Oscar Charleston Award, given to the best player each year in the NL and AL, with Derek Jeter of the NY Yankees. In 2005, when Howard was named the NL Rookie of the Year, he also won the Larry Doby Award, presented to the top rookie in each league. The Legacy Awards are now in their ninth year. Proceeds from the awards benefit the NLBM, which is one of the best museums around.

Updates: As thought, the Indians' Cliff Lee got the Cy Young award in the AL. Chase Utley today picked up his third-consecutive Silver Slugger award. This afternoon the Phillies hired Sam Perlozzo, former manager of the Baltimore Orioles, to be a coach. His exact role is yet to be determined.

play ball

Last Sunday I went to see Play Ball: Baseball in America and the Lehigh Valley, on at the Lehigh County Historical Society Heritage Museum, shown above. It's a small show but packed with all kinds of baseball artifacts from the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Area baseball included sections on Limeport Stadium and local women in baseball. The umps got their due as well, thanks to George 'Jim' Honochick, Pennsylvania native and esteemed American League umpire, who died in Allentown in 1994. Honochik was the home plate umpire for Game 7 of the 1955 World Series, when the Brooklyn Dodgers finally beat the NY Yankees.

Professional baseball got its start in 1869, with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The exhibit led off with a ball, bat, and glove from those days. The tiny brown ball looked like a beanie ball and the glove, used only by catchers, was smaller than one of my gardening gloves. The Philadelphia Phillies and old Philadelphia A's were of course liberally represented. One of the coolest pieces was a grouping of framed baseball cards, looking quite vintage but in fact from the current Phillies' team.

I missed the Babe Ruth and Roberto Clemente caps, which had already been returned to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. But there was a 'Bob' Clemente poster, from the days when baseball was trying to Americanize Clemente. There was also a great selection of baseball cards from the Negro Leagues.

My favorite perhaps was the case devoted to Curt Simmons, who was born in Whitehall, in the Lehigh Valley. A pitcher for the Phillies, he was part of the 1950 Whiz Kids. That year he won 17 of his 25 starts but missed playing in the 1950 World Series because he was called to active military service that September and sent to Korea. What blew me away were the baseballs painted by battery mate Stan Lopata after Simmons' starts. Each was different, as the photos above show. The one shown at top, of a game played at Forbes Field, reads: Curt pitches six hit ball to win his tenth game of the year. Does not walk a man and strikes out four. Has one hit and steals a base and then scores the first run of the game.

Play Ball is on till December 31. I hope to get back again before then.

chris bosh is a beast

I've just been watching the Sixers win their first road (and only third--yikes) game of the young season, against the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers played refreshingly well both on defense and offense, with Brand, Iggy, Willie, Miller, and Young all contributing big-time. Even rookie Marresse Speights had a hand in the win. Maybe they are starting to find their way together.

But what a player Chris Bosh is. He kept the Raptors in the game to the end. The guy works hard for his money. He never takes a moment off.

more awards

Only two of "my" Mennonite farmstands are now open. Both, including this one, will close by Thanksgiving.

Manager of the Year awards have just come down. Not surprisingly, it was Joe Maddon for the American League and Lou Piniella for the National. Consolation to either for coming up short in the play-offs? Charlie Manuel finished second in the NL. Had votes been cast during postseason, it might have been different. I doubt that Manuel gives a hoot. After all, he's got the championship that counts.

That sums up how I feel about this year's awards. Yesterday Tim Lincecum of the Giants won the NL Cy Young award. At the press conference the 24-year-old Lincecum, cute in a black jacket and ski cap, looked like the Artful Dodger---and about as old. The award set off debates in NY that Johan Santana of the Mets, who finished 3rd, should have won, that he was better than his record indicated. Yawn. A better case could be made for Brad Lidge, who was after all perfect.

My bet for tomorrow's AL Cy Young announcement is Cliff Lee.

christy in factoryville

This tribute to pitching great Christy Mathewson is on Rt. 6, along the portion of the highway that is named "Big Six". Mathewson wore the number 6 during his famed career. Dig the oxymoron.

Today is Veterans' Day. Once there was a stadium named Veterans' Stadium but those days are way gone. Would any stadium now be named for anything that did not buy the rights?

Just heard a sweet story on Philadelphia radio. On the night between the Monday and Wednesday of Game 5 of the World Series, Cole Hamels and his wife Heidi went out to dinner at a West Chester restaurant. Nobody paid any attention to the two, who were sitting in the middle of the room, until they got up to leave, when everyone in the place stood and gave them an ovation.

scott eyre signed

Good news: The Phillies have signed free agent Scott Eyre to a one-year contract worth $2 million with options. With the Phils, the lefty Eyre threw 14.1 innings and posted a 1.88 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 19 appearances after being picked up from the Chicago Cubs. He did not fare so well in Chicago where manager Lou Piniella never bothered to learn his name.

Coaches Davy Lopes, Rich Dubee, and Milt Thompson will be back with the club in 2009. Bench coach Jimy Williams was offered a contract but has decided not to return.

In Rookie of the Year news, it's catcher Giovanny Soto of the Cubs for the NL and 3rd baseman Evan Longoria of the Rays for the AL.

The Phillies and Braves will open the 2009 season with an 8 pm game on April 5 on ESPN. And yes, it's too soon to start counting the days.

fallen leaves

On Saturday morning I also took this photo out back along the border. By Sunday morning almost all of the leaves were gone. Today I drove up to the Poconos, where it was already looking like winter. No snow but the trees were bare and the skies were leaden.

Whew! Matt Holliday goes, it seems, to the A's. Word was that the Phillies in fact had no interest. Keep sweet Shane! As for the Jimmy Rollins rumor, Ruben Amaro termed it "ludicrous." Cute Carlos Carrasco seems to be doing quite well in the Venezuela Winter League. Do hope he is in the mix for the starting rotation come spring training. I continue to be high on Car-Car, who really stepped it up when he was promoted at season end.

team of necessity

I finally went out yesterday to pick pears but there was nothing but bare branches. Even the ground beneath the trees was bare. Guess the deer and woodchucks had a good time.

Sometime early in September, Jayson Werth said that the Phillies were a "team of necessity", that they did their best when they had to, when their backs were against the wall. At the time, they were 3.5 games behind the Mets in the division race and few observers were thinking that would change. Then in the middle of the month they swept four games from the wild card-leading Brewers and the Mets started choking again. In the end the Phillies won the NL East. Starting with that Milwaukee series, they went 24-6 down the stretch, including 11-3 in postseason. They were 7-0 in home games during the postseason, setting an MLB record.

What was amazing was how easy they made it look. Despite the well-documented problems with RISP, the Phillies made it look simple. All you have to do is win. LOL. Here's to 2009!

little moreton hall

Friend Carolyn B. sent this image of the 15th-century Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire, taken by her husband Takashi F. It brought back memories of visits to Sissinghurst and Hidcote, all thanks to Carolyn. Oh, to be in England.

I'd often heard of the blog Fire Joe Morgan, dedicated to analyzing bad sports broadcasting and journalism. Lots of fertile ground there! I checked out the site yesterday for the first time and it is hysterical. I almost fell off my chair laughing over the back-and-forth on a Stark-Caple exchange on why the Phillies/Rays would win the series. Lots of good points couched in LOL terms.

The lead piece, however, was a rumor that Joe Morgan may be ousted from his Sunday ESPN gig and shuffled off to Wednesday nights. It didn't however report that Morgan's replacement may be Rick Sutcliffe. Hard as it is to listen to Joe Morgan, Rick Sutcliffe is far worse.

Check it out at www.firejoemorgan.com.

rumors and real stuff

New GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has put his cabinet together with the appointment of Benny Looper to assistant-general manager in charge of player personnel. Looper, uncle of pitcher Braden Looper, was formerly with the Seattle Mariners. Chuck LeMar, who oversaw the spectacular postseason scouting work done by the Phillies, is now assistant-general manager in charge of player development. Also, Charley Kerfeld, Gordon Lakey, Dallas Green, Steve Nowaryta, Marti Wolever, and Mike Ondo will remain with the club. As noted previously, Pat Gillick is on board as an adviser to Amaro and to CEO Dave Montgomery. This is the real stuff.

Now for the rumors, starting with Jimmy Rollins to San Francisco. Puh-leez. How could this even be a rumor? Next, Matt Holliday to the Phillies for some combination of Victorino, Werth, Carrasco, Donald, Marson, Happ, or Kendrick. With Scott Boras as his agent, Holliday would be a one-year rental. What is the point? A one-year replacement for Pat Burrell that would open a huge whole elsewhere in the outfield? If pitching and defense won the WS for the Phillies, and it manifestly did, why get rid of Victorino or Werth? Particularly when you have them under contract for years. Not to mention getting rid of all that speed on the base paths. Last, Ryan Madson to the Rockies or Tigers or anyone for who knows what. Again, what is the point? Why remove a key piece from the best bullpen around? And what is the point of decimating a farm system that is only just coming back to life? I hate these rumors. Give me something instead about Junichi Tazawa.

2010 triple-a all-star game to lehigh valley

View from the car on the way to Dryville last week.

Coca-Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate), will host the 2010 Triple-A All-Star game. This is quite a coup for the park, which opened only this season. It was made possible by the record-breaking attendance of 600,000+ set in the first season. The IronPigs had a terrible season but that did not keep fans away. Getting the All-Star game here definitely says that professional baseball is back in the Lehigh Valley.

rollins at arizona fall league

Pages from a travel journal from a 2007 trip to the Arizona Fall League.

Jimmy Rollins was in Arizona yesterday for induction into the Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame. Rollins played in the league in 2000, the year that he made his first appearance as a Phillie. Eight years later, fresh off a World Series victory, he's in the HOF. Good timing, huh?

My co-blogger and I made an AFL trip last year. She used to go regularly; for me it was a first. We also followed the 2007 World Series unfold while staying at Second Mesa, in Hopi Land, and back in Phoenix. I still vividly recall driving back from the Grand Canyon to Second Mesa and listening to the Rockies radio broadcast of one of those dismal games.

Last year the Phillies minor leaguers played for the Peo Saguaros, in Peoria, AZ. This year they're with the Mesa Solar Sox, in Mesa. HoHoKam, the stadium there, is the spring training site of the Cubbies. HoHoKam is one of the cooler AZ parks; it plays blues music between innings! We also found a great little family restaurant, called the Little Mesa Cafe, which had excellent homemade pies.

Autumn in Arizona has its own charm. Anyone who loves baseball should try to make a trip to the Arizona Fall League. Each major league team sends five or six prospects, who are then assigned to an AFL team. This year the Phillies are teamed with the Cubs, Braves, Marlins, and Tigers. Not many people go to the AFL games. The stands are virtually empty but for baseball people, scouts, and a handful of fans. It's a good chance to see prospects from around the majors. The atmosphere and desert ambience are something special.

golden

Gold Glove awards today to Jimmy Rollins, his second consecutive, and Shane Victorino, his first. Both are well-deserved. Congratulations. Pedro Feliz should easily have won one for third base, but it went instead to David Wright, a superior offensive player but no match for Feliz defensively. And what about Chase Utley?

Greg Maddux won the 18th (!) of his career, which is reportedly ending. It's almost impossible to think of baseball without Greg Maddux, the master pitcher of his generation.

bring on the pies

Hooray for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Way to go, Pennsylvania!

More changes: Steve Smith, 3rd base coach, was let go yesterday. Charlie Manuel made the decision, then on his way to the winter meetings in California went with GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., to Smith's house to tell him. Says a lot. Journeyman lefty Les Walrond was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. He's got the stuff but never seems to be able to put it together. The Jays will be his umpteenth team. Walrond was with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this past season. His 17-strikeout game was a thing of beauty.

Free agents: Burrell, Moyer, Eyre, and Seanez. Arbitration-eligible: Hamels, Howard, Victorino, Dobbs, Werth, Condrey, Madson, and Bruntlett. The budget will have to increase. Invoices for season tix should be sent out in a couple of weeks. Wonder what that price hike will be.

and the winner is....

Jayson Werth. Yes, Jayson Werth, I've just heard, is the Phillie who got the most signs and attention along the parade route. A stealth candidate for sure, though a couple of weeks ago a middle-aged usher was telling me that Werth was her favorite player. "He's got such beautiful eyes," she said, as a male colleague snorted dismissively. Turns out that lots of fans have noticed Werth. 'Marry Me, Jayson' signs were popular. Will success spoil these guys?

Jimmy Rollins took to the real campaign trail after the World Series, making robo-calls for the Obama-Biden ticket.

just vote!

The women who staff the polling station did a cute job with the entrance. This would make a cool postcard.

The local volunteer firehouse serves as the polling place here in Wassergass. It used to be a one-room schoolhouse, then a one-grade schoolhouse while an elementary school was being built. There were lots of people coming and going this morning when I went to vote around 10 am. We always have a good turnout in our pocket of Lower Saucon township. Already some 300 voters, of 800+, have turned out.

iverson traded

All-time NBA great Allen Iverson was traded yesterday from Denver to Detroit for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and another player. Iverson's got another year left on his contract, and the trade smacks of being a salary dump for the Pistons. Iverson's now 33. It's sad to think of his career ending, if it does, on this kind of note.

breathless moments

This scene, moments after Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske and the Phillies won the World Series, still makes me breathless. The postseason is made up of moments. Here are some that come immediately to mind:

The fabulous double play, from a diving Rollins to Chase Utley to Ryan Howard, which clinched the NL East for the Phillies on September 27.

Cole Hamels, brilliant in game 1 of the NLDS and throughout the postseason, going 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA. That first game set the tone for postseason play.

Brett Myers' amazing at-bats vs. C.C. Sabathia in the NLDS, then against the Dodgers in game 2 of the NLCS.

Jimmy's lead-off homers.

Shane Victorino's grand slam off Sabathia, his tying 2-run homer vs. the Dodgers, and the way he handled the headhunting Hiroki Kuroda.

Matt Stairs' moonshot in that same game, which gave the Phillies the lead.

Pat Burrell's two homers in the clinching NLDS game and his booming double in Game 5, part 2, of the World Series.

Utley and Howard going back to back in Game 4.

Joe Blanton's great pitching in Game 4 + his improbable home run.

Jamie Moyer's outstanding pitching in Game 3.

Any number of superb defensive plays by Rollins, Utley, Victorino, and company. Though the umpire missed the call, Moyer's glove toss and Howard's barehand catch on a Carl Crawford bunt, was spectacular. Chase Utley's pumpfake to first and throw home to nail Jason Bartlett was amazing.

Clutch hits by Ruiz, Jenkins, Dobbs, Werth, and Feliz. Thanks to two of them, Eric Bruntlett scored the winning run in Games 3 and 5 of the WS.

Ruiz's slow roller to third which scored Bruntlett in the bottom of the 9th in Game 3.

All of Game 5, part 2, which started at full tilt and was thrilling from start to finish.

The tandem of Carlos Ruiz and Brad Lidge. Ruiz caught the pop-up that ended the NLCS and pocketed the ball, to give it later to Lidge. He also caught the final strike on Hinske and tried to give it to Lidge, who insisted he keep it. In the end, they gave it to Charlie Manuel.

The crowd chanting Charlie, Charlie, Charlie after the NL East clinching game and at the end of the World Series.

The death of Charlie Manuel's mother, then of Shane Victorino's grandmother.

How the Phillies pitching staff stifled their competition, especially in the World Series. Ryan Madson was excellent. J.C. Romero, Chad Durbin, and Scott Eyre were clutch. The scouts gave them a plan and they executed. In the WS, the bullpen had a 0.73 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched.

Brad Lidge, who went 41 for 41 in the regular season, then 7 for 7 in postseason. Yes, a perfect season. Best of all, he was the right man in the right place. He took to Philadelphia and Philadelphia took to him.

The way that the players seemed genuinely overwhelmed and even humbled by the outpouring of love shown them last Friday during the parade and celebration ceremony.

Chase Utley, keeping it short and sweet. Which I am unable to do.

it's official: ruben amaro, jr.

Ruben Amaro, Jr. was announced this morning as the Phillies new general manager. Retiring GM Pat Gillick will stay on as a consultant, which is encouraging news. All I know about the new guy is that he is the former assistant-GM and a point man for contract negotiations. The Phillies have a boatload of those coming up in the offseason and Amaro will be busy. Of Cuban-Mexican descent, Amaro went to Stanford, where he majored in human biology and played on an NCAA championship team. He also played in the majors for about five years before joining the Phillies front office. His father was a successful major league player in the 1960's and his grandfather was a big name in Cuban baseball. Amaro, now 43, is bilingual. Several years ago I saw him on a street in San Francisco after a Phillies-Giants game as my friends and I were walking back to our parking lot. He doesn't sound all that comfortable talking in public but that doesn't mean much except to those unable to go below the surface of things. Pat Gillick says he's ready. And with that, Ruben Amaro, Jr. becomes the second Hispanic GM in the majors.

come together

This little girl sitting in front of me was among the fans at a 'sold-out' CBP for Friday's celebration, the culmination of the parade down Broad Street. She looked to be about five but, like all of the fans in attendance, waited patiently till the team made it to the park. Here she's waving her towel and World Series teddy as postseason highlights are being shown on the big screen. About 10 minutes before the Phillies made their way into the park, everyone stood and started cheering. We in the lower bowl never sat down again. Luckily, the little girl had her father there to hold her up.

It was Halloween and it was a school day, but there were tons of kids from tots to teens in attendance at the ceremony and parade. Why not? It was a day to remember. Though most of us waited for five or six hours, it was a placid, happy crowd. The Phillies first stopped across the street at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the football Eagles, to greet the overflow of some 60,000 fans there, then headed for the park. I've just been watching a TV replay of the ceremony (with Chase Utley's comment totally edited out---BOO!) and was touched to see that several players--Jamie Moyer, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins--teared up when speaking.

Stuck for hours in traffic on the way home that evening, I heard one of the dopey hosts on sports talk radio say with some wonder that the Phillies have a lot of female fans. It took him this long to notice? Sheesh. And it's not all because they're a pretty sexy group of dudes. The Saturday Inky had a cute little piece about a 77-year-old Turkish woman whose daughter and son-in-law live in the Lehigh Valley. Four years ago on a visit, the woman went to her first baseball game and fell in love with the Phillies. Since then she has followed them as best she can. Here this month on a visit, she was supposed to return to Ankara last Wednesday but refused to go. No way was she going to miss the World Series. She told her daughter she was sure the Phillies would win and even, according to an old superstition, turned her slippers upside down so that the other team would have bad luck. She was of course at the parade on Friday.

already changes

Four fans were selected to help raise the 2008 championship pennant at Friday's ceremony.

I was startled to hear the other day that the Phillies 2008 roster had had 10 new players. Thinking about it, though, Brad Lidge, Eric Bruntlett, Pedro Feliz, Chad Durbin, Geoff Jenkins, Matt Stairs, Rudy Seanez, So Taguchi, J.A. Happ, and Joe Blanton came to mind. Changes have already started in the offseason. The club has declined the options on reliever Tom Gordon and utility guy So Taguchi. So, we hardly knew you. But I am sorry to see Tom Gordon go. He was an invaluable contributor last September and always seemed to be a thoughtful, stand-up kind of guy.

The Pat Gillick era is now officially over---and are we sad to see him go. Ruben Amaro, Jr., long groomed for the job, is to be named the new GM tomorrow. With that announcement, Mike Arbuckle, who has done an excellent job with drafting and player development for 16 years, will also be leaving. Passed over for GM, Arbuckle has decided to pursue other options. Hate, too, to see him go. Big changes already. And maybe more front office dominoes to fall.

some signs from yesterday

This man made clever use of Pennsylvania's dubious status as a swing state in Tuesday's presidential election to make this sign. His candidates, however, are guys who had key hits during the postseason. Don't forget to vote!

A banner from Charlie Manuel's hometown was hanging over the concourse at the 1st base entrance. The mayor of the town showed up at the ballpark with the banner last Sunday morning, the day of Game 4. Dig the civic pride.

My mother saw these two women spray painting some signs in the parking lot and went over to critique them. A big fan of Pat Burrell herself, she thoroughly approved the sentiments of the one reading "Bring Back Pat".

Hours before the ceremonies at CBP started, I managed to pick the two signs out way up halfway round the park and way up in the 400 level.

One of the best signs was seen along the parade route: I Promise Not to Boo Again. I hope the knuckleheads take it to heart.

"world f***ing champions"

Nothing but blue skies yesterday in Philadelphia for the big love parade, which was supposed to take 90 minutes to go about four miles down Broad Street and ended up taking three hours to reach Citizens Bank Park. I was in the park solely because of the Phillies, who offered free tix to their season ticket holders, and because of my mother, who when I mentioned that offer to her said, "Get tickets!" I thought she was crazy but she turned out to be dead right.

Along with a packed house of fans, we watched the parade unfold on the big screen. It was a stunning, stunning sea of red and white all along the route. Simply amazing. Pat Burrell, the longest-tenured player and a key team leader, led the parade, riding on the Budweiser (what, not Yuengling) wagon, with his wife and English bulldog Elvis, himself a fixture at the ballpark, seated behind him.

Burrell was also the first player to enter the ballpark, riding this time in a convertible, again with Elvis. This picture shows why Pat the Bat was called Pat the Bait by his teammates, who often used him at bars as a chick magnet. All fans present knew too that yesterday may have been a bittersweet farewell to the slugger. It was greatly gratifying that the Phillies won it all while he was still on the team. He worked hard for this moment and always got what it was all about to play in Philadelphia.

Some of the many "moments" yesterday at the park that stood out: Pat Gillick, who is a baseball genius and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, gave three succinct thank-you's, including one to Charlie Manuel. His nickname's not Cholly, roared Gillick. It's Fook! Fook! It's Fook. The reference was to Manuel's middle name of Fuqua. In truth, his nickname is Fook. But it was funny to hear Pat Gillick, on the final day of his three-year tenure with the Phillies, get suddenly so animated.

Then there was Charlie Manuel, now an iconic folk hero, holding the WS trophy and concluding his comments on a quintessential Rocky note, "Yo, man! We luv ya!"

Shane Victorino also spoke but what remains with me is seeing Shane, as he red-carpeted it to the dias, stooping to pick up a Cracker Jacks bag dropped by one of the players' kids, who were seated on the field, and taking it over to someone to get rid of. A simple gesture that says a lot about the kind of person Shane Victorino is.

Also unforgettable was Jayson Werth, dressed in rocker glitz and glitter and wearing one of those humongous red fists. A nice touch, too, was the inclusion of Triple-A lifers Mike Cervenak and Andy Tracy, who had come up in September, along with prospects Greg Golson and Lou Marson.

Cole Hamels was all fired up. "The one thing I cannot wait to do is go down that Broad Street parade again and again and again. We'll see you all at this point next year." And it didn't sound at all like an empty campaign promise. Meanwhile, Brett Myers, who has had a fair share of trials, bared his soul in a love letter to the city and to its fans.

Jamie Moyer, the local product who grew up a Phillies fan, spoke to his roots. When a high school student, he had come into Philly for the 1980 parade and had dreamed about some day being in something similar himself. It happened after his first ever WS appearance and there was no doubt that for Moyer it was a dream come true. A lasting image from the onfield festivities after the last game was Jamie Moyer wandering around the field with a big chunk of wood in his arms. He had dug up the pitching rubber and was, I guess, taking it with him.

I realized again yesterday why Chase Utley, looking rather devastating in black and grey, is one of my favorite ever ball players. The guy's got real edge. No wonder his teammates revere him. He took the mike, leaned in and said, "World champions!" Roar of the crowd. Then the quiet, intense Utley leaned in again and said, "World f***ing champions!" The crowd went absolutely mad while Jayson Werth pumped that big red fist and the other guys fell all over themselves. It was a totally priceless moment. I love Chase Utley. It's unbelievably silly that he's now taking any flack for this.

Utley almost left the always-eloquent Jimmy Rollins, who spoke last, at a loss for words. Well, hard to follow Chase, said a laughing Jimmy, who then talked about the Mets (boo went the crowd) and that Mr. Johan Santana, a very good pitcher. But, said Jimmy, it takes more than one man to bring home a championship. And, gesturing to everyone on the stand, that's what we have here. Sure you can take Jimmy's words as a sports cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason and the 2008 Phillies embody what it takes to be a team of champions. They've got their share of superstar players (Rollins, Howard, Utley, Hamels) and at least one, Brad Lidge, who had a megastar year, but it took every single guy on the roster working together for them to win the World Series. Not to mention manager, coaches (and where was Davy Lopes yesterday), and front office.

Last, kudos to Mayor Michael Nutter, wearing his cool Phillies jacket and representing "the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection." Before the parade, Nutter had called on people to "be joyous, not a jackass." And they were. Only 44 arrests, for minor infractions, were made. Not bad for an "estimated" crowd of two million.

My mother and I left for Philadelphia at 8:00 am and got back to the Lehigh Valley just past 8 pm. It was worth it.