5 THINGS TO PONDER AS PHILLIES RETURN TO FALL CLASSIC

EVEN WHILE spraying champagne and dumping tall-boy cans of beer on each other's heads, they looked through their goggles and talked about unfinished business.

Even while standing on the field as fireworks crackled overhead and thousands cheered themselves hoarse, they mentioned the goal that remains.

Even while taking justified pride in all they've accomplished to this point, they were already looking forward to the task ahead.

Seven clinching celebrations in just over a calendar year has inevitably changed the Phillies. It used to be that the players talked about savoring the moment today and turning their attention to the next opponent tomorrow. That gap has shortened and now seems to have disappeared entirely. One more step, they said, almost in unison, almost as if reading from a script, even while jubilation erupted all around them.

Back to business, then. The World Series begins Wednesday. The clubhouse presumption was that they would inevitably collide with the lordly Yankees. It doesn't get any easier. Here's a look at five areas the National League champions must ponder.

1. MANAGING DOWN TIME: Baseball is a grind. Players become attuned, body and mind, to coming to work almost every day.

Now, suddenly, the Phillies will have 6 days without their competitive adrenaline flowing. There is an advantage to getting some rest, of course, especially for relief pitchers. The danger is slipping into offseason mode and then being unable to flip the switch when play gears up again.

What the Phillies have going for them is that their break is virtually identical to what they endured last year between finishing off the Dodgers in the NLCS and taking on the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

2. WHO THE HELL STARTS GAME 2? There hasn't been any announcement of the Phillies' rotation, but there is approximately a zero chance that lefthander Cliff Lee won't be on the mound for Game 1.

After that, it gets dicey.

As recently as Wednesday afternoon, it almost certainly would have been lefthander Cole Hamels, based on his reputation and the postseason credentials he earned through a remarkable postseason run last October. But he's been less than ordinary in the playoffs this year, an enigma who lasted just 4 1/3 innings in the clinching game against the Dodgers in Game 5.

J.A. Happ? For a long time this summer he was the Phillies' best pitcher. But shuttling back and forth between the rotation and bullpen hasn't seemed to agree with him.

Or maybe manager Charlie Manuel would prefer to start a righthander since the Yankees were 67-41 (.620) compared to 36-18 (.667) against lefties.

Pedro Martinez is a big-game pitcher who came up big at Dodger Stadium, making his first start in 2 1/2 weeks. Of course, that was in warm weather. And not in a city where his 2004 quote, "I just tip my cap and call the Yankees my daddy," won't be thrown back in his face.

Joe Blanton? In his only postseason start this season he buzzed through the Dodgers' lineup the first time through . . . and then was constantly in trouble after that.

There are no easy answers here.

3. GHOSTS: Asked about facing the tradition-rich Yankees before the 2001 World Series, Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Curt Schilling scoffed, "Mystique and Aura? Those are dancers in a nightclub."

Point taken. But the Yankees, with their classic uniforms, bloated payroll and 26 world championships, do project a certain air of invincibility.

Opponents must remember that the Bronx Bombers are a very good team and nothing more, that they are not unbeatable. The Phillies should be largely immune to falling under that pinstriped spell. They see them several times during spring training, have played them in interleague play and, in fact, beat New York two of three at the new Yankee Stadium in May.

4. CC SABATHIA: Yes, the Phillies beat him in the Division Series last year when he pitched for the Brewers, scoring five runs in 3 2/3 innings against the hefty lefty. Yes, he was 2-3 with a 7.92 career postseason ERA before this season.

That was then. This year he's 3-0, 1.19. And with a proven ability to pitch effectively on short rest, he could potentially get three starts.

5. THE BULLPEN: Will the real Brad Lidge please stand up? Is it the closer who had a major league-leading 11 blown saves during the regular season? Or the one who hasn't allowed a run in the postseason?

Regardless, the Phillies have to feel better about their 'pen now than they did at the start of the postseason. And not just because of Lidge. Scott Eyre has a bone chip floating around in his elbow and had to be considered a question mark. Since getting a cortisone shot, though, he's been able to contribute. Chad Durbin was unscored upon in four NLCS appearances. And Chan Ho Park came back from injury to throw well against the Dodgers.

The clubhouse carpets have been cleaned. The confetti has been swept up. The Phillies, off yesterday, will work out today. *