Ruben Amaro Jr. shed some light on the Phillies' offseason strategy today. Before we get into the interesting philosophical stuff, there are a few pieces of news that came out of the news conference:

1) As expected, the Phillies exercised Cliff Lee's $9 million option, officially bringing back the lefthander for next season. Furthermore, Amaro said the Phillies have had some preliminary discussions with Lee's agent about a contract extension that would keep him with the club beyond next season. Amaro emphasized that the discussions were introductary, and that no substantive negotations have taken place. Still, it sounds like the Phillies would like to keep Lee in the fold for the forseeable future.

2) Surgery remains a possibility for Raul Ibanez. Amaro said the veteran left fielder, who played the second half of the season with an injury in his groin/lower ab, was scheduled to undergo an MRI today.

3) Brad Lidge is having his elbow examined out of concern that he might have some loose bodies floating around inside of it, much like lefthander Scott Eyre. Amaro said that Lidge's knee, which caused him to go on the 15-day disabled list, is fine.

4) Amaro said later this afternoon that he informed Brett Myers that the Phillies would not be making a contract offer to him, effectively ending his eight-year tenure with the club. Amaro spoke with Myers shortly after his 12 noon press conference at Citizens Bank Park.

Stay tuned for more.

^

In today's paper we took a look at five questions facing the Phillies this offseason, starting with their projected payroll and ending with the rotation. But because there is a finite amount of space in the Daily News, we didn't cover half the stuff we wanted to get to. Fortunately -- or, depending on your point of view, unfortunately -- High Cheese is not subject to space constraints.

So I wanted to flesh out some things that had to be condensed in the paper, most importantly the Phillies' current and future financial situation, and whether they will have the money and desire to go big game hunting in free agency, or whether this will bring back Pedro Feliz and Joe Blanton and focus most of their improvement efforts on the bench and the bullpen.

1) The final 2009 payroll

You'll find different figures for the Phillies' Opening Day payroll depending on your source. Here at the Daily News, we factored in money the club paid to former players Jim Thome, Geoff Jenkins and Adam Eaton to get a total just under $131 million. According to the contract information we have obtained -- major props to veteran baseball scribe Paul Hagen for his copious record-keeping in this department -- the Phillies ended up paying just over $137 million after bonuses to 30 players. Their actual payroll is slightly higher, but we don't have enough information to figure exactly how much money was earned by players like Miguel Cairo, Tyler Walker, Andrew Carpenter, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo, Steven Register, Rodrigo Lopez.

Here is a look at final money earned by players, including bonuses and the prorated salaries of partial-season players:

Ryan Howard: 15.075 (.075 in bonuses for ASG, LCS MVP)
Brad Lidge: 11.50
Brett Myers: 12.00
Chase Utley: 11.050 (.050 in bonuses for ASG)
Raul Ibanez: 8.550 M (2.0 signing bonus, 0.050 for ASG, maybe 0.050 for AP/TSN or BA AS)
Jimmy Rollins: 7.50
Jamie Moyer: 7.00 (.500 in bonuses)
Joe Blanton: 5.475
Pedro Feliz: 5.500 (.500 in bonuses for 500/550 PA)
Cole Hamels: 4.35
J.C. Romero: 2.754 (4 million minus 1.245902 for suspension)
Shane Victorino: 3.150 (.025 for ASG selection)
Chan Ho Park: 2.575 (0.075 in bonsuses for 30, 40, 45 G)
Jayson Werth: 4.525 (1 M signing bonus, 0.525 in other bonuses for 500/600 PA, ASG)
Ryan Madson: 3.015 (1 M signing bonus, .015 bonus)
Scott Eyre: 2.00
Pedro Martinez: 2.45 (.45 in bonuses for Games started and days on active roster)
Cliff Lee: 2.085
Chad Durbin: 1.65
Greg Dobbs: 1.15
Matt Stairs: 1.10 (.10 in bonus for 100 PA)
Eric Bruntlett: .800
Clay Condrey: .650
Carlos Ruiz: .475
J.A. Happ: .405
Jack Taschner: .835
Ben Francisco: .153
----------------
30 players, 137.372 million w/ Jenkins, Eaton, Thome

2) The projected 2010 payroll

You are more likely to catch David Montgomery singing karaoke at McGillin's than you are to hear him offer a definite number on what Phillies ownership is willing to spend in a given season. I sat down with Montgomery in Clearwater last spring and tried to gauge how much higher the team's payroll might climb in the coming years. While he did not offer anything concrete, he did say that the Phillies weren't on the fast-track to Yankeedom, and that the organization would have to rely more on internal player development than on yearly free-agent spending binges.

"We're at a point now where we're expecting to have about as much revenue as we can," Montgomery said in a wide-ranging interview with the Daily News. "That's why, if I look 5 years down the road, I hope that we are successful enough that we've been able to begin very seriously infiltrating another good group of young players, so that you can keep this successful period going. "

But Montgomery also said that the team couldn't expect to duplicate it's attendance success of 2008. But as it turns out, the Phillies eclipsed it, drawing nearly 150,000 more fans. They also had an extra home playoff date, thanks to three NLCS games (last year, they played two NLCS games at home). They likely won't make as much money as they would have had they defeated the Yankees in the World Series, but it is a safe bet that they made more money this season than they projected. How that translates into payroll spending is hard to tell.

3) Committed money for 2010

Once the Phillies pick up Cliff Lee's $9 million option for next season, they will have roughly $103.5 million committed to 12 players:

1. Ryan Howard: $19 million
2. Brad Lidge: $11.5 million
3. Chase Utley: $15 million
4. Raul Ibanez: $11.5 million
5. Jimmy Rollins: $7.5 million
6. Jamie Moyer: $8 million
7. Cliff Lee: $9 million
8. Cole Hamels: $6.65 million
9. J.C. Romero: $4 million
10. Jayson Werth: $7 million
11. Ryan Madson: $4.5 million
12. Greg Dobbs: $1.35 million

4) Will Joe Blanton be back, or will the Phillies make a play for another starter?

The Phillies have seven players eligible for arbitration, but only three are strong candidates to return. They could decide against offering contracts to RHP Chad Durbin, RHP Tyler Walker, INF Eric Bruntlett and RHP Clay Condrey. Durbin has been a big piece of the bullpen the last two years, but he will be due a raise from his $1.65 million salary, and the Phillies could choose to give themselves the option of spending that money elsewhere by letting him become a free agent. They could also decide that they want Durbin back, but only at a specific price, and offer that salary to him in a take-it-or-leave-it contract. Condrey pitched well when healthy and only made $650,000 last season, so he could stick around. Bruntlett was left off the NLDS roster and has hit just .202 in two seasons in Philly, so the team could decide that, at worst, they can find another back-up short stop with the $800,000 they paid him this season.

Right-handed starter Joe Blanton is an interesting case. He made $5.475 million last season and went 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA. Looking at past arbitration cases, a salary in the $7 million range would seem to be realistic for Blanton. Although each arbitration case is different, by looking at a composite of similar players and what they ended up earning, we can get an idea of what Blanton might be in line to receive.

Following the 2006 season, lefthander Doug Davis entered arbitration with 5 years, 138 days of services. Blanton has 5 years, 16 days of service. Davis went 11-11 with a 4.91 ERA for the Brewers in 2006, and had 33-33 with 3.84 and 3.39 ERAs the two years before.

At the time Davis was 62-63 with a 4.35 ERA, 1.467 WHIP in 1,089 innings pitched. Blanton is 63-54 with a 4.21 ERA, 1.331 WHIP in 1,026.2 innings.

In Davis' case, the Diamondbacks offered $5.25 million, Davis asked $7.5, and they agreed on a 3-year, $22 million deal.

After 2007, Oliver Perez (4.43 ERA, 1.430 WHIP, 804.1 IP, 5.034 years of service) was awarded $6.5 million. The same offseason, Nate Robertson (4.60 ERA, 1.411 WHIP, 832.2 IP, 4.065 years of service) signed a three-year, $21.25 million deal with the Tigers. Last year, Erik Bedard (3.81 ERA, 1.337 WHIP, 739 IP, 5.171 years of service) agreed to a $7.75 million contract with the Mariners after making $7 million the year before.

Granted, all four of these pitchers are lefties, on which there is more of a premium. And Bedard and Robinson spent their careers in the hitting-friendly American League.

But given Blanton's consistent production, durability, salary, and service time, the Phillies likely figure that Blanton will be in line to receivea salary of at least $6.5 million, and perhaps even higher.

The Phillies could decide they are better off using that money to pursue another pitcher. They already have Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ under contract for next season. But if they elect to keep Pedro Feliz at third base (we'll get to that shortly), they'll be counting only on internal improvement to bolster what was an inconsistent line-up (Raul Ibanez staying healthy for the whole season and Carlos Ruiz carrying his postseason success over to 2010 would go a long way). Which means they could view bolstering their pitching as their best shot at another World Series. Toronto ace Roy Halladay, whom they pursued at the trade deadline, figures to be available. Angels righthander John Lackey is the cream of a so-so free agent crop, but he figures to command a huge multi-year contract.

Thanks to escalators that he met, Moyer will earn about $8 million next season. He is recovering from surgery and lost his spot in the rotation after an inconsistent performance last season, but is unlikely to be moved elsewhere. Several people in the organziation believe top prospect Kyle Drabek could be major league ready by the second half of next season, so it isn't out of the question that the Phillies enter the season with Moyer as the No. 5 starter while priming Drabek for an if-necessary promotion should Moyer falter.

Do the Phillies think they can get more bang for their buck elsewhere (Among free agent RHP starters: Jason Marquis, Joel Piniero, John Garland, Rich Harden, Brad Penny, Ben Sheets)? Or that they can bring back Brett Myers at an affordable price? Or that they can make a big upgrade by making a play for Lackey or Halladay? Or that Blanton's consistent production, and the risks of the aforementioned options (Who is the real Jason Marquis? Can Harden stay healthy? Is Sheets damaged goods? Is Lackey worth the money? Is Halladay worth the prospects?), makes him the best option?

5) Do the Phillies have the future money, and desire, to sign Lackey or Cliff Lee or Chone Figgins or Jayson Werth to a multi-year contract?

The Phillies' 2010 payroll is only part of any equation. While they have a considerable amount of money tied up for next season, their 2011 situation could give them some flexibility to dole out another big contract.

For the 2011 season, the Phillies have $71.5 million committed to seven players (Howard, Lidge, Utley, Ibanez, Hamels, Madson). Jimmy Rollins has an $8.5 million option with a $2 million buy-out. J.C. Romero has a $4.5 million option. Utley is the only player currently signed through 2012 (Brad Lidge has a $12.5 million option with a $1.5 million buy-out).

So the Phillies have both the wherewithall and impetus to look toward the future when considering this year's crop of free agents. Might they decide to lock up Cliff Lee to an extension? And what about Jayson Werth, who had a career year but will be a free agent after 2010?

One of the big decisions they have to make in the coming weeks involves third base, where Pedro Feliz has an affordable $5.5 million club option (up from $5 million based on bonuses received in 2009), with a $500,000 buy-out. Feliz has been masterful on defense over the last two seasons, but his offense has been inconsistent, and the power he displayed in San Francisco has not entirely carried over to the cozier confines of Citizens Bank Park (Feliz had at least 20 home runs in each of his last four seasons with the Giants -- He has just 26 in two years with the Phillies). The Phillies' minor league system is devoid of any clear third basemen who might make an impact in the next two or three years, and next year's potential crop of free agents is, at least at first glance, weak. Aramis Ramirez (.303 BA, .368 OBP, 173 HRs the last six years) has a $14.6 million player option with the Cubs. After him, there isn't much. Ty Wigginton and Jorge Cantu could both be available, but neither is the type of defender the Phillies want at third.

Taking all of that into consideration, they could decide that this year is the year to lock up a third baseman who can upgrade the line-up both now and in the future.

Here is a look at the avaiable third basemen:

A) The cream of the crop

Chone Figgins, Angels

Perhaps the most intriguing option, particularly with the flexibility the Phillies have with Rollins after 2010. Figgins is a true leadoff hitter. This year, he hit .298 with a .395 on base percentage and stole 42 bases. In five of his six years as an everyday player, his on base percentage has been at least .350 (Rollins' career-high is .349, and he has finished under .340 in six of his nine full seasons). Figgins, like Rollins and Shane Victorino, is a switch-hitter. He doesn't have much power - he hit five home runs last season and his career-high is nine - but the last thing this team needs is more power.

Adding Figgins to the line-up would give the Phillies flexibility to move Rollins out of the leadoff spot and would give Charlie Manuel an array of options with his line-up. He is also a solid defender, although arguably not on Feliz's level.

The downsides? He'll be 32 years old on Opening Day, one year older than Rollins. Figgins has also hit just .172 with a .223 OBP in 35 career postseason games.

Figgins has spent his entire big league career playing in Southern California, and he will likely command a big free agent contract.

Adrian Beltre, Mariners

Here's another intriguing candidate, albeit one that might carry more risk than a guy like Figgins. From 2006-08, Beltre hit at least .266 with 25 home runs for the Mariners. Last season, he missed time due to two separate injuries (surgery to remove bone spurs from his non-throwing shoulder and a badly swollen testicle he suffered from an errant ground ball) and finished hitting .265 with eight home runs in 111 games.

Beltre is also a Gold Glove fielder (he won the award in 2007 and 2008) whose UZR was the second-best among MLB third basemen in 2008.

He kills lefties but struggles against righties. He hit .298 against lefties but .253 against righties in 2009, and .340 with eight home runs in 150 at-bats against lefties in 2008, compared with .239 with 17 home runs in 406 at-bats against righties.

He also could stand a change of scenery.

In 2009, Beltre hit .279 with a .324 on base percentage with four home runs and 25 RBI in 229 at-bats away from the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. In 2008, he hit .292 with a .349 on base percentage, 15 home runs and 54 RBI at home and .240 with a .303 on base percentage, 10 home runs and 23 RBI at home.

Beltre is just 30 years old. But like Figgins, it is tough to tell exactly how much he will command on the open market.

Mark DeRosa, Cardinals

DeRosa, a Univ. of Pennsylvania product, should come cheaper than Figgins or Beltre. DeRosa earned $5.5 million this season. Had surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left writst, but is expected to be ready for spring training.

From 2006-08, he hit at least .285 with a .351 on base percentage and 10 home runs for the Rangers and Cubs. He is a .299 career hitter against lefties, but also hits .265 against righties. He has alos hit 44 home runs in his last two seasons. This year, he hit just .228 with a .291 on base percentage after being traded from the Indians to the Cardinals, but he suffered from a wrist injury that required offseason surgery.

The Phillies liked DeRosa last offseason. He'll be 35 on Opening Day, so he likely isn't a long-term solution. This was the first year since 2004 he played mostly at third base, and he would be a significant drop off in defense from Feliz. But he isn't such a huge defensive liability that it would overshadow the potential bat he would bring.

DeRosa has also played extensively at second base and in the outfield. Even if they retain Feliz or look elsewhere at third base, the Phillies would love the bat and defensive versatility that DeRosa brings. But would they be able to guarantee him enough at-bats to convince him to sign as a back-up?

B) Short-term rentals

If the Phillies do not exercise Feliz's option, it isn't necessarily a sign that they will look to make a big free agent splash at third. There are plenty of veteran options available that could upgrade the line-up. Melvin Mora is 37 years old and coming off a season inwhich he hit .260 with a .321 on base percentage and eight home runs for the Orioles. But he hit .285/.342 with 23 home runs and 104 RBI in 2008 and at least .274 with a .341 on base percentage and 14 home runs from 2005-08.

Troy Glaus, who played just 14 games due to injuries this season, is another option with big upside. He hit .261 with a .364 on base percentage and 122 home runs from 2005-08 and two years ago was one of the best defensive third basemen in the game.

The Phillies' Opening Day payroll was a club-record $130,844,098 this season, including nearly $20 million that was guaranteed to former players Adam Eaton, Geoff Jenkins and Jim Thome. Thanks to a club-record attendance of 3,600,693 and eight home postseason games, a payroll increase is not out of the question.

But the Phillies already have a considerable chunk of money - roughly $94.5 million - locked up to 11 players who are under contract for next season. Once they exercise the $9 million option on ace lefthander Cliff Lee's contract, they will have $103.5 million dedicated to 12 players.

Here is a look at where things stand at the moment in terms of salary. (Players who are not arbitration eligible are not listed.)

Under contract for 2010
 

Ryan Howard: $19,000,000

Chase Utley: $15,000,000

Raul Ibanez: $11,500,000

Brad Lidge: $11,500,000

Jimmy Rollins: $8,500,000

Jamie Moyer: $8,000,000

Jayson Werth: $7,000,000

Cole Hamels: $6,650,000

Ryan Madson: $4,500,000

J.C. Romero: $4,000,000

Greg Dobbs: $1,350,000

TOTAL: $97,000,000

Options for 2010

Cliff Lee: $9,000,000

Pedro Feliz: $5,500,000

TOTAL: $14,500,000

Potential free agents (2009 salaries, including bonuses)
 

Brett Myers: $12,000,000

Chan Ho Park: $2,575,000

Pedro Martinez: $2,450,000*

Scott Eyre: $2,025,000

Matt Stairs: $1,050,000

Paul Bako: $600,000

Miguel Cairo: $500,000

TOTAL: $21,200,000

* Prorated

Arbitration eligible (2009 salaries, including bonuses)
 

Joe Blanton: $5,475,000

Shane Victorino: $3,150,000

Chad Durbin: $1,635,000

Eric Bruntlett: $800,000

Tyler Walker: $750,000

Clay Condrey: $650,000

Carlos Ruiz: $475,000

TOTAL: $12,935,000

Off the books (2009 salaries, including buyouts)
 

Adam Eaton: $9,000,000

Geoff Jenkins: $8,000,000

Jim Thome: $3,000,000

TOTAL: $20,000,000
 

They dressed mostly in silence, shoving their belongings into duffle bags and slipping out to the waiting buses, en route to Penn Station, and then Philadelphia, and then wherever their offseason homes lie.

The end of the Phillies' reign as world champions came just before midnight in the Bronx, in the form of a convincing 7-3 loss at the hands of the Yankees. Most of them will be back. Several will not. Righthander Brett Myers is a free agent, as are Matt Stairs, Scott Eyre, Chan Ho Park, Paul Bako, Pedro Martinez, Tyler Walker and Miguel Cairo.

Pedro Feliz has a $5.5 million club option that might be exercised. Cliff Lee has a $9 million club option that will definitely be exercised.

In many ways, the Phillies final game of the 2009 season offered a case study on how they can improve before their next attempted title run. They will need to address the bullpen, where two of the most reliable arms in an inconsistent unit -- Eyre and righthander Chan Ho Park -- are headed toward retirement or free agency. They will need to find a right-handed bat or two who can provide balance on the bench (reserve outfielder Ben Francisco went 0-for-3 last night and finished the postseason 0-for-11, while Eric Bruntlett and Miguel Cairo combined to go 0-for-6).

They will need to decide whether Feliz, who  went 0-for-4 last night and 3-for-26 in the postseason, has earned a $5.5 million club option with his defense, or if the free agent market holds a compelling-enough right-handed-hitting offensive upgrade at third base that might better balance the line-up without sacrificing too much in the field.

And they must find a reliable fifth starter, provided: A) They decide to offer righthander Joe Blanton arbitration and keep him in the fold with lefties Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and J.A. Happ, B) They are not married to veteran lefty Jamie Moyer, who lost his spot in the rotation in August and is currently recovering from lower ab/groin surgery, but who is due to make an estimated $8 million next season thanks to escalators he reached based on starts and innings pitched, and C) That they have seen enough out of Martinez, who will be a free agent, to know that he is not that guy.

There will be other sub-plots, other developments, that will shape this team in the next few months. Might Myers, who after eight seasons with the Phillies will become a free agent, be the guy who completes the rotation? Is Ibanez, who went 13-for-52 with 13 RBI this postseason, headed for surgery on his injured groin and lower abdomen?

One thing is for sure: the 25 players who walked off the field amidst the mayhem at Yankee Stadium last night will never play together again.

Even in defeat, they made history, becoming the first team in franchise history to reach back-to-back World Series. They won 93 games during the regular season, nine games during the postseason, and came two wins away from becoming the first National League team to repeat as World Champions since the 1975-76 Reds.

This weekend, however, Broad Street will be silent, save for the people and cars bustling through the onset of winter.

There will still be Thanksgiving, and there will still be Christmas, but there will be no parade, no title, no World Bleepin’ Champs.

“When two teams are playing like that, one of them is going home,” manager Charlie Manuel said, his eyes red and his voice at times shaky. “Last year it was Tampa. This year it’s us. But we’re going to be back.”

^

I'd like to thank all of you readers out there for following along throughout this season. I appreciate the feedback, both positive and negative, and I hope you all will continue to check in to the blog throughout the offseason, when we'll attempt to keep things running on all cylinders.

On Sunday, I'm off to Chicago, where the general manager's will be holding their annual meeting. Free agency begins 15 days after the last game of the World Series, which by my calculation is Nov. 20.

In other words, there will be plenty of moving and shaking going on -- probably not as much as last year, when the Phillies hired a new general manager, said goodbye to Pat Burrell, signed Raul Ibanez, and hired an entire new front office, as well as a new bench coach and third base coach. But there will be plenty to delve into once the World Series hangover wears off.

Again, thanks for checking in.

And as Fonzie would say: Ayyyyyyyyyyyyy

Hard to believe that within the next 30 hours, the Phillies' season will be over, and they will either maintain their title as champions, or find themselves one or two wins short. The highlight of this weekend will either be a parade down Broad Street, or the Eagles' Sunday night tilt against the Cowboys. The Phillies will either enter the offseason again trying to improve the best team in the major leagues, or they will look to fix the three glaring personnel deficiencies that helped cost them the title -- an over-reliance on their left-handed sluggers, the lack of a powerful right-handed bat off the bench, and an inconsistent bullpen.

Four hours before the start of Game 6, manager Charlie Manuel said he expected center fielder Shane Victorino to be in the line-up. Victorino suffered a badly swollen, albeit unbroken, finger when he was hit on the right hand with an A.J. Burnett in the third inning of Game 5. Manuel labeled the finger "fine," although he said he would watch Victorino's swings and throws during batting practice to make sure the injured digit is not hampering him.

Assuming Victorino plays, Ben Francisco will start in left field, with Raul Ibanez serving as the designated hitter. Francisco hit seventh the last time he was in the line-up, but tonight he will hit eighth, with Pedro Feliz hitting seventh and Carlos Ruiz hitting ninth. The bottom of the Phillies' order could play a huge role in this game. Ibanez, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard combined to go 0-for-9 with six strikeouts off Andy Pettitte in Game 3. If Pettitte has similar success with his slider tonight, the five right-handed bats at Nos. 7 through 2 will need to help make up for the lack of production at the middle of the order.

Here are the line-ups:

Phillies

1. Jimmy Rollins SS
2. Shane Victorino CF
3. Chase Utley 2B
4. Ryan Howard 1B
5. Jayson Werth RF
6. Raul Ibanez DH
7. Pedro Feliz 3B
8. Ben Francisco LF
9. Carlos Ruiz C

Yankees

1. Derek Jeter SS
2. Johnny Damon LF
3. Mark Texeira 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Hideki Matsui DH
6. Jorge Posada C
7. Robinson Cano 2B
8. Nick Swisher RF
9. Brett Gardner LF

Over the last 24 hours, the bulk of the spotlight has centered on the shoulders of Pedro Martinez, and deservedly so. It is difficult to imagine another athlete who, over the course of his career, has displayed such an intriguing ability to both dominate on the playing field and cultivate his legend off of it.

In my admittedly-young career, Pedro Martinez is the most street smart professional athlete I have covered, and it isn't even close. Just like his pitches, the loquacious righthander is well aware of the impact of each one of his comments, the purpose and plan behind each evident only after your walk back toward the dugout has begun.

If you think Martinez did not know what he was doing when he labelled the Yankees his daddy, when he contemplated drilling the Bambino in his kiester, you are missing the true brilliance that exists inside his mind.

Even now, five years after his legendary daliances with the Yankees as a member of the Red Sox, many media members and fans chuckle as if the joke is on him. They chuckled last week when Martinez labelled himself the most influential person to ever play at Yankee Stadium. They chuckled this morning when they saw the cover of the New York Post featuring Martinez's head superimposed on a diaper-clad baby, seated above a headline that reads "Daddy to whup Pedro tonight."

But last week, as he walked off the mound at Yankee Stadium in the seventh inning of Game 2 serenaded by chants of "Who's Your Daddy?," it was Martinez who was smiling, slowing his pace as he neared the lip of the visitor's dugout and looking mischievously into the rabid stands. It was not a happy grin. It was a sly grin, the grin of an uncle who had just finished toying with a clueless nephew at Thanksgiving Dinner.

Once again, he had forced them to prove him right, the attention of 50,000 New Yorkers resting squarely on the shoulders of a once-poor kid from the Dominican.

At yesterday's press conference at Yankee Stadium, Martinez staged a typical Pedro performance, charming the local and national media who filled rows of plastic chairs in a conference room with his unique blend of humor, philosophy and hyperbole. He is just at home behind a microphone as he is on top of a mound, toying with reporters the same way he does hitters, setting them up with off-speed stuff that make his fastballs seem more potent.

The media looks at these sessions as can't-miss opportunities to make Pedro be Pedro, to coax the righthander into making his next crazy quote. Two of the first six questions referenced two of his legendary quotes, one of them the "Yankees are my daddy" reference he made years ago after a loss, and the other about his vow to drill Babe Ruth in the buttocks should he ever get the chance.

But with deft subtlety, Martinez turned the onus on the questioner, first declining to discuss the Daddy chants with a "I'm not going to answer that question. . .And I'm sorry for that," and later unleashing perhaps his most revelaing monologue yet.

"In some ways I give that to you guys because it took me a while to realize that anything I say, everything I do has a meaning to you," Martinez told reporters. "I hope that when I need you for the community work and other things that I'm going to need, I'm going to need help to help people, that you guys actually bring the message across because that will give me help for all those things that I have in mind for after I retire."

A quick Google search reveals that no New York or Philadelphia newspapers published Martinez's words that were quoted above. Instead, they focused on the headline-ready portions of the news conference, the money quotes that sell newspapers and build public personas, the moments when Martinez:

1) Labelled himself a Montrealer and a New Yorker and a Bostonian
2) Expressed confidence that Red Sox fans would root for him because, hey, "they don't like the Yankees to win, not even in Nintendo games.
3) Directly contradicted William Shakespeare's contention that the good men do is oft-interred with their bones, saying "Normally when you die, people tend to actually give you props about the good things. But that's after you die. (Laughter). So I'm hoping to get it before I die. I don't want to die and then hear everybody say, "Oh, there goes one of the best players ever." If you're going to give me props, just give them to me right now."

But after it was over, after Martinez spent the last part of his press conference answering questions from the Spanish-speaking reporters in attendance, he slid from behind the table at the front of the room with a smile and crossed paths with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who was scheduled to follow him on the dais.

"I knocked them dead," Martinez, still grinning, told Manuel.

It was the same grin that had crossed his face when he left the mound at Yankee Stadium four days earlier, it's message matching the one he had spent the previous 20 minutes delivering to a mostly unwitting audience:

Everything I do has a meaning to you.

^

As much focus as will be on Martinez tonight, Game 6 could come down to how Manuel deals with his legendary starter. In Martinez's first two starts of the postseason, Manuel has been labasted for his use of the righthander. In Game 2 of the NLCS, many fans and media felt he had pulled Martinez far too early, given the 87 pitches he had thrown in seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers. In Game 2 of the World Series, those same second-guessers said he had left Martinez in the game too long, given the 99 pitches he had thrown after six innings and the run he would go on to allow in the seventh.

He is a difficult pitcher to judge. On Sept. 13, Manuel allowed him to throw 130 pitches in eight scoreless innings against the Mets, and the move resulted in a 1-0 win. But in six of Martinez's 11 starts with the Phillies in the regular season and postseason, he has allowed at least one run in his last inning of work. The problem lies in identifying what that last inning should be, and taking him out before it starts.

Against the Bravesin the regular season, the last inning was the third, when he allowed two runs after straining his neck in an at-bat. Against the Astros, it was the fourth, when he allowed a solo home run. Against the Cubs, it was the fifth, when he allowed two runs. Against the Yankees in Game 2, it was the seventh, when he allowed one run. Or perhaps it should have been the sixth, when he allowed a solo home run after holding the Yankees scoreless in the first five frames.

The difficulty in handling Martinez is that has at times has taken an inning to get into a groove -- Six of the 18 runs he has allowed this season have come in the first inning. But he also shows few signs of slipping from that groove until it is too late -- Seven of his 18 runs have come in his last inning of work.

Manuel said yesterday that righthander Joe Blanton, who pitched in Game 4, could be available for an inning or two out of the bullpen. Chan Ho Park can throw multiple innings, as can Chad Durbin. Throughout this season, the notable exception being Game 2 of the NLCS, Manuel has displayed a willingness to push his starters to the max, hoping to avoid putting too much pressure on an inconsistent bullpen. Yesterday, Manuel said he felt like Martinez was back to the physical condition he displayed in that eight-scoreless-inning effort against the Mets in mid-September.

What if Martinez has thrown six scoreless on 90 pitches in a game the Phillies lead 2-0? Is it Chan Ho Park time? Or is it a game for Martinez to win or lose?
 

Charlie Manuel just finished briefing the media on the state of its team as it prepares for Game 6 tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.

Shane Victorino, who injured his finger in the third inning of Game 5 after being hit with a pitch, was examined by team doctors today in Philadelphia. There is no fracture, but the finger remains swollen, and Victorino's status for Game 6 is up in the air. If Victorino can not play, Manuel said Ben Francisco would likely play center field. That means Manuel would have to find somebody else to DH, likely Eric Bruntlett, the only other right-handed bat on the bench.

Also, Manuel said he does not expect to change the line-up he has used throughout the postseason, despite the 0-for-9, six-strikeout performance of his trio of lefty sluggers against Andy Pettitte in Game 3.

So this is where we stand:

For a team that two days ago found itself facing a 3-1 deficit after a heart-breaking loss in the World Series, the Phillies find themselves in as fortunate of a position as they could have hoped for heading into Game 6. Yankees manager Joe Girardi just confirmed what most people assumed, that veteran lefthander Andy Pettitte will start tomorrow on three days' rest against veteran righthander Pedro Martinez.

Here are some key points to watch as the Phillies fight to keep their season alive:

I. Pettitte on Three Days' Rest

Pettitte has plenty of experience pitching on short rest. In 14 regular season starts, he is 4-6 with a 4.15 ERA. But Pettitte's career numbers don't provide an accurate barometer for tomorrow, since he is 37 years old and hasn't pitched on three days rest since 2006. Besides, those 14 starts occurred in the regular season, not in the high-tension atmosphere that is the playoffs, not against what is supposed to be the best team in the National League.

The last time Pettitte pitched on three days' rest in the postseason was in 2003, when he  hurled a masterpiece against the Marlins in Game 2 of the World Series, allowing one unearned run on six hits and one walk while striking out seven in 8 2/3 innings of a 6-1 win. He threw 111 pitches that night, four days after he started Game 6 of the ALCS against Boston and allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings while throwing 92 pitches.

But Pettitte's three other postseason starts on short rest provide a mixed bag:

1. 2000 ALDS: 3.2 IP, 5 R, 10 H after throwing 108 pitches four days earlier.
2. 1997 ALDS: 6.2 IP, 4 R, 6 H after pitching five innings four days earlier.
3. 1996 ALCS: 8.2 IP, 2 R, 3 H after throwing 121 pitches four days earlier.

So you have one bad start, one great start, and one so-so start.

Similarly, Pettitte's most recent regular season starts on short rest show a variety of results:

1. 9/30/06 - W, ATL, 5-4: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 79 pitches after throwing 96 pitches in 6 2/3 innings of a 7-4 win over the Pirates four days earlier
2. 6/03/06 - L, CIN, 7-5: 6 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR, 109 pitches after throwing 87 pitches on four days earlier.
3. 8/01/06 - W, SDP, 1-0: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, 104 pitches after throwing 13 pitches of relief on July 28 against the D-Backs.
4. 07/19/01 - L, DET, 11-2: 4 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 78 pitches after throwing 109 pitches in seven innings against the Phillies on July 15.
5. 06/29/00 - W, DET, 8-0: 9 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SS, 125 pitches after throwing 121 pitches in 5 1/3 innings against the White Sox on June 25.

So in the last nine years, you have two bad starts and two great, with a fairly irrelevant great start against the Padres seeing as though he wasn't making back-to-back starts on short rest.

Some other things to consider:

1. Not only is Pettitte making his first start of the season on short rest, but he hasn't even started on normal rest since Sept. 5, 2009. Each of his starts since then have been on five or more days of rest.
2. Pettitte threw 104 pitches in Game 3, allowing four runs on five hits and walking three in six innings.

II. Time for a line-up change?

Manuel essentially said today that he would not mess with the order of his line-up, except to account for the addition of a designated hitter. Manuel has used the same order in all 12 postseason games played in National League parks, and he doesn't intend to change. Lefty sluggers Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez and Ryan Howard went a combined 0-for-9 with six strikeouts off of Pettitte in Game 3. But Manuel said he does not intend to move Jayson Werth, who hit two home runs off of Pettitte, to third as he has occasionally done in the past.

"Utley hit in the two hole, but Utley is hitting lefties right now," Manuel said. "I kind of look at our line-up if you stop and think about what it is. I've messed with it before. Utley has hit second and I put Victorino down sixth and Jayson Werth up in the three hole before, but I don't want to do that. I think especially if we're going to play Ibanez, I like Werth standing in between Howard and Ibanez."

If Manuel did opt for a line-up change, here is one he might consider -- assuming, of course, that Victorino is healthy enough to play.

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Chase Utley, 2B
3. Jayson Werth, RF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Shane Victorino, CF
6. Raul Ibanez, LF
7. Ben Francisco, DH
8. Pedro Feliz 3B
9. Carlos Ruiz C

III. The Yankees' bullpen

The one argument against a line-up change would be the possibility of Pettitte leaving the game early and turning things over to the bullpen, which features talented righties in Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera.

If Pettitte has a real short outing, the Phillies could see righthander Chad Guadin, who was the other option to start Game 6.

Gaudin hasn't started a game since late September and has thrown just one inning this postseason.

Here are the Phillies' numbers against him:

Ibanez: 7-for-18, 4 XBH, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 5 SO
Feliz: 2-for-8, 1 RBi, 1 BB, 2 SO
Stairs: 3-for-6, 2 XBH, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Dobbs: 2-for-2, 1 XBH
Werth: 0-for-1, 1 BB, 1 SO
Francisco: 1-for-1
Utley: 1-for-1
Bako, Bruntlett, Howard, Rollins, Ruiz, all 0-for-1
 

^

Turns out, the Yahoo! Sports report of a confrontation between Brett Myers and Cole Hamels was slightly exagerated. FoxSports.com insider Ken Rosenthal witnessed it and wrote on his web site that he took it as the two players joking around. Phillies' Director of Communications Greg Casterioto was also there and told a similar story. Myers might have rubbed Hamels the wrong way with his joke, but it doesn't appear to be indicative of friction in the clubhouse.

Instead, it appears to be business as usual. Before Myers and Hamels' interaction, center fielder Shane Victorino good-naturedly ribbed Hamels about his now famous quote hoping the season would end, threatening bodily harm in the process. Hamels told Victorino, who injured his finger during the game, that he wasn't scared: "You've only got one arm."

As expected, Andy Pettitte will start Game 6 of the World Series for the Yankees tomorrow night. The Phillies will counter with Pedro Martinez.

Pettitte, who has more postseason wins than any pitcher in baseball history, will come back on three days' rest. He struck out seven and allowed four runs in six innings in a Game 2 victory Saturday night.

Manager Joe Girardi had said before Monday night's Game 5 that he wanted to see how Pettitte felt today before naming him the starter, officially.

Asked today about the conversation with Pettitte, Girardi said it went something like this: " 'How do you feel?' and he said he felt great. It doesn't take more than that. This is something that we talked about, and we're still very comfortable doing it, and he's our guy tomorrow."

The Yankees are attempting to become the first team to win the World Series with only three starting pitchers since the 1991 Minnesota Twins.  

Girardi was asked what signs he would look for in Pettitte to determine if he was fatigued. "You could talk about lack of velocity. You could talk about location. But you can have all those things on normal rest. You can have lack of location on normal rest, extra rest, short rest. I mean, that's the thing. And a lot of times things are overanalyzed.
Fatigue can manifest itself in a lot of different ways, but to me if they're really fatigued you're not going to see the consistency in the velocity."

*

To read our earlier post on the Phillies, click here.

For the first time in a long time, the Phillies find themselves on the wrong side of history, battling not just the New York Yankees, but precedent.

They are down three games to one, staring elimination in the face, needing to win three straight games to preserve their dreams of a historic repeat.

"It's like the NCAA tournament," righthander Chad Durbin said last night, where many Phillies players bore the looks of men who, for the first time, caught a glimpse of their own mortality.

Except in many ways, it isn't. The Phillies must beat the same team three times in a row. They must beat a squad of hardened professionals, many of whom have been here before.

The Phillies entered this World Series confident bordering on cocksure. They spoke of destinies and dynasties and favorable mojo. But over the past week, they have been transformed from teacher to pupil, receiving a first-hand lesson in the difference between October greatness and one great October.

Is it a coincidence that the difference between the Yankees and the Phillies this World Series has been three players with a combined 18 Fall Classics under their belts?

Good luck deciding which one, in the event of a New York win, should be MVP -- because as clutch as Alex Rodrgiuez has been, it will be a crime of a member of the Yankees' core trio does not come away with the honor.

Catcher Jorge Posada is 4-for-13 with three RBI. His pinch-hit RBI single in Game 2 gave the Yankees a badly-needed insurance run. His two-run single last night put the ninth inning out of reach. And his handling of the Yankees pitching staff, his repeated trips to the mound to steady the team's stars, has been crucial.

Short stop Derek Jeter has hit safely in all four games. He has reached base eight times in 18 plate appearances. He has just one RBI, but it came in a big moment last night.

And what about Mariano Rivera, who turned Game 2 into a seven-inning game, and recorded two more saves in Games 3 and 4?

What does real postseason experience brings? It brings the ability to battle through the inability to command ones pitches, averting a big inning and gutting ones way through six innings. Andy Pettitte did this in Game 3, while last year's postseason ace, Cole Hamels, crumbled after four.

It brings the awareness Johnny Damon displayed in bolting from second to an uncovered third in the ninth inning of Game 4, drastically altering the make-up of a game the Phillies had just tied at 4-4 in the previous half inning.

The good news for the Phillies is that the comeback they will try to complete has been accomplished 11 times before. The bad news is that it has not occurred on 63 other occasions.

The last time a team overcame a 3-1 deficit in the World Series was 1985, when the Royals overtook the Cardinals. The last time a team overcame a 3-1 deficit while winning the last two on the road was in 1968, when the Tigers did it against the Cardainls.

Six teams have overcome 3-1 deficits in a seven-game series in the LCS -- The 2007 and 2004 Red Sox (over the Indians and the Yankees), the 2003 Marlins (over the Cubs), the 1996 Braves (over the Cardinals), the 1986 Red Sox (over the Angles) and the 1985 Royals (over the Blue Jays). The 2004 Red Sox, 2003 Marlins and the 1985 Royals all did it by winning the last two games on the road.

The 1979 Pirates, 1958 Yankees and the 1925 Pirates overcame 3-1 deficits in the World Series, with the Yankees doing it on the road.

Tonight, Cliff Lee gets the first shot at staving off elimination. If he succeeds, Pedro Martinez will try it against Andy Pettitte tomorrow, followed by Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton and Lee and anybody else who might realistically be expected to record an out in Game 7.

Win or go home.

It is all that remains.