Happy halladays.

I hate the fact that Philadelphia Phillies fans have to wait a year, maybe more, to determine the true worth of the Roy Halladay trade.

Truths: Roy Halladay is better than Cliff Lee. Roy Halladay is signing a reasonable (relatively speaking), short extension, something Cliff Lee would almost certainly not do. Roy Halladay is probably the best pitcher in baseball, and he's become that despite facing the potent Yankees and Red Sox lineups 15 times a year.

But what I keep coming back to is that we could have kept Cliff Lee. If the Phillies had offered Jamie Moyer arbitration (and a one-year contract) last year rather than a two-year deal...if the Phillies had non-tendered Joe Blanton last week, or traded him for peanuts (don't try and convince me no one would take Joe Blanton; they just wouldn't give us value back)...then the Cliff Lee salary dump (and trust me, the Mariners prospects may be decent, but they weren't their best; it was about losing $9 million from the payroll) might not have to happen.

But instead, we're paying Jamie Moyer around $8 million this year, and Joe Blanton will probably clock in about there, as well. Hindsight is 20/20, and it's easy to nitpick moves made in the past. And more specifically, its probably unreasonable to expect Ruben Amaro to cut ties with Joe Blanton with no Halladay deal right on the cusp. But moves like these, short-sighted decisions that ended up bloating our payroll, along with an openly professed desire for Halladay, allowed the Blue Jays and Mariners to rake us over the coals in the manner that they did.

The Jays might not have gotten a king's ransom for their ace, but they got two of our top three prospects and a solid catching prospect. And the Mariners got our postseason hero, a former Cy Young winner with World Series excellence added to his resume. And we had to trade that postseason hero because in 2010, we owe Moyer and Blanton together a Halladay-esque salary.

As a result of this trade, are we a better team in 2010? Probably in the regular season, as Halladay could easily win 20 games in the National League. But in the playoffs, Halladay can't start more than two, maybe three games a series. And Lee won the two games he started in the World Series. Unless Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge return to form, the Phillies probably won't win another title in 2010.

Are we a better team in 2011? That's the real question. Logic dicates that 2011 was the year Michael Taylor was going to take over for Jayson Werth and Kyle Drabek was going to fill a hole in our rotation left by Joe Blanton. But now, both of them play elsewhere, and the Phils may have to turn to more expensive free agents as an answer.

To be successful in baseball for an extended amount of time, you need to mix young, cheap talent with older, exorbitantly paid superstars. In Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay and Chase Utley, we certainly have the latter. But of the former...well, we're a bit limited. And that could cause a lot of issues down the line.

I will be the first to admit that once we see Roy Halladay take the mound on Opening Day, all this talk won't matter. And I also understand that prospects are not guaranteed to evolve into contributing major leaguers, which is why we shouldn't really lament the loss of Taylor and Drabek. But I think that, with some foresight and creative thinking, we could have Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels leading the rotation in 2010, and near-Rookie of the Year J.A. Happ would be in the number four slot. That's a rotation that beats even what they're putting together in Boston, and it kills me that Rube didn't make it happen. Maybe I'm expecting too much from him after the "right-place, right-time" perfection of the Lee/Francisco trade.

That said, all we can do is adore Roy Halladay and hope one or two of Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez pan out. But I know that when I heard on Monday afternoon that we were trading Cliff Lee to the Mariners and then sending Mariners prospects (and Taylor) to the Blue Jays for Halladay, I loved it. I would miss Cliff Lee, but we were keeping Drabek, and we were trading Lee with a purpose. I could live with that. But once the Lee deal and the Halladay deal became separate entities, and the Lee deal began to look like a knee-jerk move made by a team suddenly lacking the upper hand, my enthusiasm turned into skepticism.

I love Roy Halladay, but he can only pitch once every five days. Whether Ruben Amaro can put good pitchers on the mound the other four days, not to mention eight solid players behind them, well, that's become the real question the Philadelphia Phillies will have to answer.

Even stevens.

For the record, I support the firing of John Stevens and the hiring of Peter Laviolette.

I don't think Stevens was the right guy to take this team to the next level, and I like the idea behind a tough, demanding coach that'll shake those Flyers who grew up with Stevens out of their comfort zone.

I also believe that firing Stevens will help Mike Richards grow as a captain. It sounded like Richards wasn't sure how to handle the addition of Chris Pronger to the locker room, with a lot of talk about Pronger being afraid to step on Mikey's toes and a damaging lack of communication between the two.

In a perfect world where human emotions were irrelevant, Pronger would probably have the C. He's done it before, and he has the demeanor and the skills to lead in every facet of the word. But Mike Richards is the face of the franchise, the man with the 12-year contract and the team's leader, for better or worse. I don't think anyone regrets that decision just yet, but Richards needs to grow and mature. And he will. The guy is only eight months older than me, and if you asked me to lead with an intimidating 35-year-old future Hall of Famer looking over my shoulder, I'd probably be a little hesitant as well.

It sounds like Richards took a lot of the blame for the coaching change, which is only partly true but definitely the right way for him to view the situation. Whether Stevens's style was holding the team back or not, more consistent play would have saved the man's job, and the Flyers did not provide that. As the captain, that falls on Mikey, and I think in the end that kind of kick in the ass will make him a better player and leader.

That being said, the timing wasn't right. Even though the Flyers looked awful, there didn't appear to be the need for an immediate change. Did Stevens lose the locker room? Unlikely, although Pronger didn't sound too distraught after the fact. Clearly Paul Holmgren lost faith in his coach, and that's understandable based on their recent play. But rather than inspire the team, the coaching change seems to have added to the pressure on the Flyers. A thrashing of the Islanders notwithstanding, the power play has remained painfully stagnant and implementing Laviolette's new system is going to be difficult with the team in the middle of a horrible slide.

A midseason outright coaching change, rather than the temporary promotion of an assistant, is rare. Laviolette was Holmgren's man, no question about it, and maybe he didn't want to take the chance that he'd slip away to another team after the season. But for now, a team with extremely high Stanley Cup hopes is playing like a team expecting a high draft pick.

The talent is there. If they can keep Claude Giroux on one of the top two lines, I think it'll restart his maturation process that began last year. JVR looks like a stud, especially considering how young he is, and hopefully the offensive output provided by the defense at the start of the season re-emerges. They need Blair Betts and Darrell Powe back, and they need Ray Emery to get healthy, as well. It'll be a shocker if they don't make the playoffs, and even if they sneak in, they'll be a debilitating matchup for Boston or Pittsburgh in the first round.

But all this probably could have been done with John Stevens. Right now, the Flyers are a team in turmoil, and when the axe falls next, it'll fall a little higher up on the food chain. Holmgren got his coach, but it might cost him his job.

BOWGA.

I have a friend named Walt Schwenk, and he has a friend named Jeff Pearlman. And they've given us all something very special.

Walt enjoys music that the hypercritical and musically pretentious would never give the time of day. I'm talking about Hall & Oates, Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, Chicago, 38 Special. Bands and artists that were incredibly successful, made large sums of money and sold out countless arenas and stadiums in their heyday. Bands and artists that are now, in many circles, considered a joke.

It's not that he doesn't like "good" music. He enjoys Springsteen, Black Sabbath, The Beatles, a good number of musicians that are both respected and critically acclaimed.

But he makes a point to emphasize his love of this kind of music, music often from a lost era, music that seems cheesy or over-the-top or just flat-out fake.

And this is music that Pearlman calls the "Best of Walt's Gay Asshole (BOWGA)". It doesn't matter why that makes sense -- it just does. It's perfect. Pearlman and Walt even have an audition process -- Pearlman puts a song on, and if Walt spreads his legs in agreement, the song is part of BOWGA. But if Walt folds one leg over the other, much like a lady, the song is rejected. Walt is tough but fair; he's proud of his musical tastes, and as his friend (and fellow fan of forgotten masterpieces), I love it, too.

In fact, I might like it more than he does. We're constantly swapping new additions to BOWGA, setting up Pandora stations for our favorite BOWGA artists and introducing ourselves to unexpected or repressed works of art.

And I think it's time to introduce our tastes to the world, but with a twist. These gems are what I am listening to now, my current favorites in this unappreciated genre:


Don Henley - "Taking You Home"
Ignore the Big Fish video attached to this song. Walt may not even include this in BOWGA, but he should. Don Henley's most known work probably came with The Eagles, but his solo albums cannot be denied. His masterpiece is The End of the Innocence, which features hits like "The End of the Innocence","The Last Worthless Evening" and "The Heart of the Matter". These are all terrific songs, probably worthy of BOWGA, but "Taking You Home" from 2000's Inside Job features unnecessary African American backup singers, a light R&B feel and inclusion as one of my favorite Henley compositions.


Michael Bolton - "How Can We Be Lovers?"
Another friend of ours, Chris Foran, loves Michael Bolton. Far more than any young man should love Michael Bolton, in fact. But he hates this song. No one is sure why -- the part where the music drops out and Bolton belts out, "WE CAN WORK IT OUT!" is probably a top-ten all time moment in recorded music. Plus, Mr. Bolton has a wonderful message -- a relationship is best built upon a solid foundation of friendship. Which is probably why I've drunkenly tried to hook up with so many of my female friends.


REO Speedwagon - "Time for Me to Fly"
Now this is one I know Walt can get behind. Much like Mr. Henley, the Speedwagon has numerous songs worthy of BOWGA -- "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "Roll With the Changes" leap off the tongue. But "Time for Me to Fly" is the perfect mix of ballad and rock, describing the difficulties of relationships while affirming that freedom from said relationship will cure all old wounds. I really want to sing this at a karaoke bar, preferably to a girl I've recently broken up with.


Annie Lennox - "Walking on Broken Glass"
The inclusion of John Malkovich in the music video is a welcome surprise, even though the 18th-century costumes are a little odd. At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame show that recently aired on HBO, I was disgusted to see that Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin dueted on an Aretha Franklin song. How could Aretha foresake "Broken Glass"? As if she's ever done better. Another song I regret to say I've never performed karaoke to.


Phil Collins - "I Wish It Would Rain Down"
And finally, one of my all-time favorite songs. The music video stars Collins, Jeffrey Tambor and Eric Clapton, and it follows an alternate version of Collins' career where a demanding Tambor ruins his big shot at fame. But the song itself is so multi-talented; it can play so many roles. It can be a tale of heartbreak, of confession, even a key asset on my iPod shuffle running mix. Phil Collins gets a lot of flak, and sometimes rightfully so. But he has a dozen songs, maybe more, that are genuinely well-made and fun to listen to. In my opinion, Mr. Collins should be the spokesman for BOWGA. Much-maligned, successful beyond belief, unfairly shunned by popular opinion, a master of pop music. If people could accept Phil Collins and his music into their lives, the world would be a better place.

Back in the high life again.

Allen Iverson and Placido Polanco have returned to Philadelphia.

Only one of these two men will have any impact on a world championship run, and its the demure Dominican. But if a sports team's success related to the amount of headlines it received on ESPN.com, well, the last two weeks would have you believing that the Sixers are the city's gold standard.

And that's not to say I do not appreciate and understand the Iverson media blowout. Allen Iverson was a terrific player, and his introduction during tonight's 76ers re-debut was truly a special moment. It brought back memories of the 2000-01 76ers, a blue-collar team led by Iverson and beloved by the city.

It also made me kind of sad, as all of us basketball bandwagon hoppers finally had to think about how far the sport has fallen in Philadelphia. The Wachovia Center sold out tonight, and if the Sixers start playing competitive basketball, that plus the Iverson influence will get attendance back to acceptable levels. But ever since 2001, the team has either underachieved or flat-out sucked, and the fans have responded accordingly. When that kind of negativity pervades a franchise, it takes a lot to turn things around. Just ask Placido Polanco.

When Polanco left the Phillies in 2005, they too were underachieving. An 88-win season was enough for a close second place in the NL East, but a collapse in the final few weeks of the season left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. The team was talented (Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, the emergence of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard) but untested, prone to slumps and seemingly unable to come through in the clutch.

Fast forward to what will soon be 2010, and Baseball America has named the Phillies the Organization of the Year. Even September's World Series loss to the New York Yankees seemed acceptable...well, as acceptable as a loss can be in Philadelphia. Utley and Howard are perennial MVP candidates; Cliff Lee should be a serious Cy Young candidate next year.

You can talk about how it was the right players in the right place at the right time, or you can stress that the Phillies were smart to get a capable leader in Pat Gillick and the perfect players' manager in Charlie Manuel. Either way, the Phillies are the toast of the city, and the Sixers currently reside in the gutter.

Getting Allen Iverson will grant them a brief reprieve, albeit a joyous one with a special player we should feel blessed to watch again. But more than anything, it allows us to compare to the team that ruled in 2000 and the team on the throne in 2010. Both Iverson and Polanco seem happy to be back, and we are happy to have them both. But ironically, this time around Polanco's brilliant contact hitting will inspire more debate, discussion and (hopefully) excitement than Iverson's flash and flair.

I wonder which song they're gonna play when we go.

"I hope it's something quiet and minor and peaceful and slow."
-The Gaslight Anthem, The 59 Sound

The 2009 Philadelphia Phillies went out not with a bang, but with a whimper.

These weren't the defending champs we'd become accustomed to seeing. The team that came up big when they needed to in the regular season, the team that would never say never when staring down Huston Street or Jonathan Broxton.

Other than Cliff Lee, Chase Utley and Jayson Werth, they were exposed in the World Series as a flawed team. Cole Hamels couldn't pitch like Cole Hamels, so the 38-year-old Pedro Martinez was expected to. No one could decide whether Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ were starters or relievers, even though one helped guide us to the championship last year and the other is about to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino had none of the fire so desperately needed at the top of the lineup. Raul Ibanez looked a thousand years old. Pedro Feliz just looked awful.

And Brad Lidge's season ended just as it should -- with another meltdown, cementing one of the worst seasons for a closer in major league history.

This is not to say that the 2009 Phillies weren't enjoyable. Some of those playoff comebacks were the stuff of legend, and returning to the World Series for the second year in a row will probably mean a lot more when the dust settles.

My biggest issue, however, is that what everyone thought would kill the Phillies all season did, in fact, end up doing them in. Ryan Howard can't hit lefties, and that disability flared up big time in the World Series. Feliz got worse and worse offensively as the year went on, and his performance in the playoffs all but assured that his option won't be picked up for 2010. Lidge and the bullpen were question marks at best, and they couldn't keep some of the more iffy games close when it counted. Hamels was inconsistent all season, and downright awful in the playoffs.

The bench needs to be upgraded, and the bullpen will get at least a minor overhaul. Another closer option would be nice, and a true utility infielder to spell Utley and Rollins once a week is practically a necessity.

The nice thing, though, is that all this team needs is tweaks. The core returns for at least one more season, battle-tested and hopefully hungrier than ever. If Ruben Amaro Jr., who proved with the Lee and Martinez acquisitions that he is not content to stand pat, goes out and gets an Adrian Beltre-type to replace Pedro Feliz, that would be icing on the cake.

All the pieces are there to make a similar run in 2010. That's what I keep telling myself, at least. For now, though, I'm sad that the Yankees turned out to be the better team. I guess it's a testament to this era of Phillies baseball that losing a postseason series can be so difficult -- they don't do it too often.

Glory days.

"Yeah, they'll pass you by...in the wink of a young girl's eye."
-Bruce Springsteen

The Philadelphia Phillies versus the New York Yankees.

It's the kind of matchup Phillies fans have dreamed of all year. CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, Andy Pettitte and Pedro Martinez, AJ Burnett and Cole Hamels.

Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Derek Jeter.

Mariano Rivera. Brad Lidge.

Will the Phillies pull it out? As someone who's seen their perseverance, their professionalism, their undying patience and their skill day-in and day-out in 2009, yes.

As someone who knows the sport of baseball, understands the unpredictability of a postseason series and has a working knowledge of how good the Yankees can be, honestly, who knows.

Everyone is picking the Yankees, sure, but Yankees in six, Yankees in seven. That's a long series, and if it truly comes down to one game, and that game turns out to be a rematch of Lee and Sabathia, who could possibly predict the outcome with even the slightest bit of certainty?

These are two very good teams. They smack a lot of homers, they have top-heavy starting rotations and there are still a few question marks in their bullpens.

I hope this series stretches until next week, and I hope it's won because one team outlasts the other. The Angels flubbed countless chances (and pop flies) against the Yankees in the ALCS, and the Dodgers (again) looked overmatched by a team way out of their league. I want to see torturous games, games survived by only the truly best team.

In all honesty, making the World Series two years in a row is an accomplishment in and of itself. This Phillies team is one we'll never forget, that's for sure.

But now that we're back, and now that we're up against the most storied franchise in American sporting history, well, why not win again?

Jimmy Rollins says the Phillies will win in five. I find that overly optimistic. But six sounds just right. And even though I just questioned how this series could be predicted with any certainty, well, I'm in no way certain. But I know the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies sure look like world champions to me.

Philadelphia Phillies in six. Now let's do it to it, let's get this party started.

So young and in love.

They've said this is the best Philadelphia Phillies team of all time. I can't vouch for that.

Some have even said it's the best Philadelphia sports team ever. I certainly can't vouch for that, either.

But I will say this -- I've never loved a sports team like I love these Philadelphia Phillies.

"These Philadelphia Phillies" are, of course, the Howard/Utley/Rollins/Werth/Victorino/Ruiz/Hamels/Madson core that has won three straight division titles, two straight National League Championships and one (and counting) World Series.

Other faces, such as Raul Ibanez, Cliff Lee, Brett Myers, J.C. Romero, Chan Ho Park, Aaron Rowand, Brad Lidge and Pat Burrell have provided invaluable contributions. Davey Lopes has commanded the running game, Rich Dubee has handled the arms, Milt Thompson the bats, and Charlie Manuel has done the unthinkable: become the best manager in Phillies history.

There are a few faces I don't miss. Tom Gordon was money...until his arm fell off halfway through 2006, one-sixth of the way through his contract. Adam Eaton and Freddy Garcia would be wise never to show their faces in Philadelphia again. And despite my friend "Coach" Foran's constant chanting, Abraham Nunez was never quite the "M-V-P!"

But I love Ryan Howard's monster homeruns. I love Jayson Werth's good eye, Jimmy Rollins's defense and Chase Utley's everything. I love how no ball is out of Shane Victorino's reach, how no pitch escapes the glove, the chest, the something of Carlos Ruiz. I still love Cole Hamels's changeup, even though it's taking 2009 off. I love that Ryan Madson has embraced the bullpen.

Right now, in 2009, I love every member of this team. After seeing Miguel Cairo look beyond awkward in left field during the NLDS, I even re-love Eric Bruntlett. There's a place in my heart for Scott Eyre, for Ben Francisco, especially for the rejuvenated Chad Durbin.

Even when they were winning, sometimes by six or seven runs, 2008 was a nailbiter of a season. Until they finally did it, won it all, we didn't think it could be done. Hell, when asked for my prediction in every series until the 2009 NLCS (minus the NLDS's, of course), I picked the opposing team. Yes, I even picked the Rays. I was waiting for the fun to stop, the magic to run out. I thought it was inevitable.

But this last series, I said, "Phillies in six." And it turned out that even my newfound optimism ended up shortchanging the Phils, although this time in a much more acceptable way.

If you don't believe in the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies, you haven't been watching how this has all played out. Their development from "division winners" to "surprise World Champions" to "unbeatable, never-say-die defending champs" is something out of a movie, or a book. It's perfect; it's what all sports fans want their teams to be. To come together as a unit, to put aside personal goals (as much as baseball players, participants in the most individual of sports, can do so) and unite for a common goal; it doesn't happen anymore.

This team wasn't bought, except for Ibanez, Park and maybe, kinda, Cliff Lee. They were castoffs from other organization, homegrown minor leaguers, reclamation projects and role players. But they all found a home here, and while some have matured in line with expectations, others have blown even the loftiest projections out of the water.

But no matter where they came from or how they got here, they've become ours. In a city starved for winners, they've more than satisfied our hunger. They turned a diehard Eagles town into a passionate baseball haven, where standing room World Series tickets are $500 or more, and they've spread their seed throughout the land. Phillies hats have even been popping up on the streets of Brookline, Red Sox Central, where I now make my home.

But perhaps the most endearing moment took place last night. "Lackluster celebration," a friend said to me, in regards to the televised portion of the Phillies' NLCS victory party. But that's just what I wanted to see -- there's more work to be done. Getting back to the Series further ensures that we'll be treated like an elite team, but beating the Yankees, well, that would make us the unquestioned best. The best right now, possibly the best of the entire decade. That's the only level the Phillies haven't reached yet, and it's not far out of reach.

I could watch, write about, think about this Philadelphia Phillies team for hours. And I often do. They've already won our hearts, put themselves in the record books, become household names, achieved things most fans will never forget. But over the next two weeks, they can make all of America take notice; they can shove themselves down the country's throat. The Phillies are the best team in baseball, and in two weeks, I hope everyone knows it.

I don't bump mainstream, I knock underground.

As my old roommate Peter True would say, "Bay shit." One more.

Local hero.

I said the Philadelphia Phillies would need terrific starting pitching to win the 2009 National League Championship Series.

Well, Pedro Martinez came through. And Cole Hamels didn't.

But somehow I forgot, or neglected to mention, or just plain failed to give the necessary credit to one Cliff Lee. And that's just plain wrong.

Cliff Lee struck out 10 batters in Game 3 of the NLCS. Cliff Lee is 2-0 in the 2009 postseason with a 0.74 ERA. Cliff Lee even stole a base last week.

Simply put, when discussing the heroes of the playoffs thus far, it's necessary to mention Jayson Werth and Carlos Ruiz. It's downright criminal to disregard the record-breaking Ryan Howard.

But, more than anyone else, make sure you pay homage to Cliff Lee.

Cole Hamels was the love child of the 2008 postseason, and his numbers were worse than what The General has been dealing. Not worse meaning "bad", but worse because, frankly, its almost inconceivable to pitch better.

With luck, we won't see him again until the World Series. Randy Wolf seems like a poor matchup for the Phillies tonight, but then again, so did Hiroki Kuroda. And we DEFINITELY won't see Kuroda-san again this year.

The series should be 3-0. Instead, it's 2-1. A sweep in the Championship Series is almost too much to ask for, anyway. But it's becoming apparent to everyone (hopefully, even the Dodgers themselves) that a divide exists between these two teams. One looks like they're championship-caliber. The other one, not so much.

And that divide exists in part, was created, was forged out of sixty feet, six inches and five pitches by Clifton Phifer Lee.

Prove it all night.

To win the 2009 National League Championship Series, the Philadelphia Phillies are going to have to come up big in Games 1 and 2.

Clichéd? You bet.

But it's true.

Our Game 1 starter is Cole Hamels, 2008's golden boy but the definition of mediocrity in 2009. His five-inning, four-run start in Game 2 of the NLDS was either the continuation of a subpar season or the result of his mind being elsewhere: His wife went into labor with their first child during the game. Take your pick; either way, he was not the Octoberized version of Hamels we were expecting.

And our Game 2 starter is Pedro Martinez. Pedro threw a 130-pitch gem on September 13th, dazzling the New York Mets on Sunday Night Baseball and winning over the hearts of Phillies fans everywhere. And then, of course, his body fell apart. He only pitched seven innings the rest of the year; we haven't seen him on a mound since September 30th. Just the man you want starting a crucial NLCS road game, huh?

They'll be opposed by lefty Clayton Kershaw and drunk Vicente Padilla, respectively. The book on Kershaw says his electric stuff might be diluted by patience and the pressure of starting a playoff-series opener at 21 years old. And the knock on Padilla has always been "million dollar arm, ten cent head", a phrase that sums him up beautifully. Oh yeah, and he was most likely caught drinking in the clubhouse during the 2002 All-Star Game.

But Kershaw has been dynamite since his second regular-season loss to the Phillies on June 4th, and Padilla threw seven shutout innings against the Cardinals in the Game 3 NLDS clincher. On paper, it might seem the Phillies have the advantage, but the reality is that these two very different pitchers have been extremely successful for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

So it's up to Cole and Pedro to make a statement. What we need to see is the Cole Hamels who loves the spotlight, the Hollywood kid with the squeaky voice and moderately famous wife. The Pedro Martinez who can appear ageless, who evokes annoying Favre-esque commentary like "he's having fun, he's a kid out there." In the past, in their own way, both have reached the pinnacle of the starting pitching mountain. Hamels is trying to keep his spot on Mount Pitchmore, and Martinez will be enjoying what is probably his last shot at adding to his Hall of Fame resume.

But in the next two days, both will have everything to prove. The only impact they've had on the Phillies 2009 postseason thus far is negligible at best, negative at worst. Players like Cliff Lee, Scott Eyre, Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard, and even Brad Lidge are why the Phillies are still in the hunt. If Hamels and Martinez want to exist as fellow heroes in the present, not just as distant memories of championships and successes past, well, they've got two days to prove it.