A lot has happened in Philadelphia sports since my personal laptop died in its sleep before game six of the World Series. The Phillies fizzled out and lost to the Yankees team in a poorly played series by both teams.

And speaking of fizzling out, the Eagles’ rash of injuries finally caught up to them as they finished the 2009 season in the most embarrassing fashion possible—getting blown out by the hated Dallas Cowboys in two consecutive weeks (the first of which, 24-0, I witnessed in person), the second of which eliminated them from the playoffs.

The Phillies

Let’s take this look back chronologically and start with the Phillies’ inevitable failure in the World Series. I say inevitable because they just didn’t play good baseball that week. Neither did the Yankees, frankly; but in all of the little strategic decisions and details that are part of a game, the Yankees were simply better. Their brain cramps in game four, both on the field and in the dugout, are perfect examples of why the Phillies just weren’t up to snuff in that series.

Hardly resting on their laurels, a few short months later the Phillies made what is probably the largest blockbuster trade in franchise history. Remember how great it felt to have Steve Carlton take the mound every fourth day? Well, get ready to feel that sensation again, only every fifth day, when Roy Halladay takes the field for the Phillies in 2010. Ruben Amaro wound up trading away almost everyone the Blue Jays were demanding when the Phillies tried to get Halladay back in July, but this time they restocked the cupboard with prospects from the Mariners when they dealt Cliff Lee to Seattle in a separate trade.

It’s almost hard to fathom how good the Phillies would be this season with Halladay and Lee in the rotation together. Throw in a rejuvenated Cole Hamels and the rest of the National League would have been in serious trouble. That didn’t happen for three reasons: 1) Cliff Lee was owed $9 million in 2010, as is the untradable Jamie Moyer, and the Phillies were already at their budget limit; 2) Getting Halladay seriously depleted the farm system, so they had to get something in return to make sure they could compete for many years in the future, not just 2010; 3) Amaro is counting on Hamels finding his old form and essentially filling the role of Lee in the No. 2 spot in the rotation.

While having Halladay and Lee together was a wonderful, brief fantasy for both fans and the Phillies brass no doubt, it just wasn’t practical, and it’s hard to argue with their decision to think about the future. They made the current team better for the next four years (if you think Lee was good, wait until Halladay marches through the NL like Sherman marched to the sea), and they made sure they still have talent left in the system to keep them competitive when Halladay and the rest of the core players start approaching the twilight of their careers.

Don’t forget their other significant move: bringing Placido Polanco back to town to play third base, a signing not without irony since it was Polanco’s distaste for playing third which led to his trade to Detroit when Chase Utley took over as the Phillies’ everyday second baseman back in 2005. He is a significant downgrade from Pedro Feliz defensively, but an equally significant upgrade at the plate. Forget all those bad at-bats from Feliz and pencil Polanco into the 2-spot.

I’ll post a more thorough preview of the 2010 club in a few days.

The Eagles

Oh, where to begin?

As I pointed out to my many Cowboy-fan friends, the Cowboys were the healthiest team in the NFL and finished the regular season 11-5, while the Eagles were the most-injured team in the league and also finished 11-5 against basically the same schedule as the Cowboys. What does that tell you? Maybe it’s just a way for me to rationalize the beatdown they took from Dallas in those final two games, but I actually believe there is something to this.

The Eagles lost so many key starters to injury, starting in training camp with middle linebacker Stewart Bradley for the whole season and half the offensive line for various stretches, and on into the season with a secondary riddled by so many injuries Sean McDermott fielded a squad of third-stringers and guys they picked up off the street. Don’t forget Brian Westbrook’s concussions (he’s kind of an important player). When Jamal Jackson blew out his knee in game 15, that was just the straw that broke the camel’s back.

My theory was somewhat justified when the Cowboys had their asses kicked by the Vikings the following week, proving that Dallas really wasn’t that good either.

The point is, the Eagles getting to 11-5 and a wild card berth was probably a minor miracle in football terms. In a lot of ways,  2009 may have been Andy Reid’s best job as head coach. There’s a lot of speculation about the future of certain players, most of which I feel is overblown (McNabb isn’t going anywhere, though Westbrook may have played his last game with the team). If the Eagles stay healthy next season, and Reid’s offensive line plan actually works out the way he originally planned in 2009, look out in 2010. This team has the potential to be very very good.

Look for more thoughts from me on the 2010 Eagles around NFL draft time in April. For now, with spring training underway to fill the horrible sports void between football and baseball season, expect a full slate of Phillies coverage now that I’m up and running again.

I was without Internet access the last two days of my Houston trip, so I’ll just consolidate the final two games into one post, which is easy since they were basically the same game. When an air conditioned ballpark and Jay Mohr throwing out a first pitch are the highlights of your baseball weekend, staying home seems like it would’ve been the better option.

Gary Unmarried throws out the first pitch. Bad form, but he got it there.

They Phillies got decent enough starting pitching to win both games, put on a stellar display of poor situational hitting, mashed a whole lot of line outs and long drives to deep center that would have been home runs in 95 percent of other ballparks and only mustered three runs in each game, all but one of which came from solo homers.

Charlie Manuel was rightly peeved after Monday’s game about the lousy hitting all weekend with runners in scoring position (of course, there weren’t any in scoring position that often). On more than one occasion, runners on third base were stranded with less than two outs. If it wasn’t for home runs, they would have hardly scored at all.

Charlie Manuel ponders his team’s slumping bats before Sunday’s game.

The pitching was mostly decent, except when facing Hunter Pence. He was a one-man wrecking crew, driving in eight of Houston’s 20 runs in the series, including three in Monday’s finale. Cole Hamels pitched fairly well, but had some tough innings, struggling to put away a few pesky Astros who kept fouling off pitches. Jaime Moyer, too, pitched well enough to win on Monday, filling in for the injured J.A. Happ (who I was really looking forward to seeing live).

Cole Hamels, as he has much of this season, struggled to find his “out” pitch on Sunday.

The only really impressive moment for Phillies fans all weekend (and there were quite a few at Minute Maid Park, actually) was Ryan Howard’s gargantuan home run to centerfield in the fourth inning on Monday. It was estimated at 445 feet, and the only thing that stopped it from bouncing into downtown Houston was the stadium wall.

Ryan Howard watches his towering home run in the fourth inning Monday.

Speaking of hitting walls, it looks like Manuel finally conceded that Brad Lidge hit one last night, pulling him after walking the bases loaded for Ryan Madson, who closed the game. You have to think either Madson or Brett Myers will get the next chance at a save while Manuel and Rich Dubee figure out what to do with Lidge.

Meanwhile, the offense put up five runs for the first time in a while last night; unfortunately it was all on solo home runs again. The good news: two of them were from Raul Ibanez, who hopefully has picked a good time to come out of his horrific slump.

Ah, the Natinals—always there to help a team get healthy.

If this morning’s news item about Pedro Martinez coming to Philadelphia to take a physical is indeed true, then I hope he fails it. If he doesn’t, then Ruben Amaro is about to fail his first major test as general manager.

Roy Halladay is the surest bet to hit the baseball trading block in many a season. Pedro Martinez is like trying to pick up an inside straight. But naturally that won’t stop Amaro from reverting to the pattern of his forebears.

I’ve read an awful lot of feedback on various message boards across the Interwebs arguing over which minor league prospects should remain untouchable in a Halladay deal. To those of you who live solely in the world of the National League East and don’t understand how good a pitcher Halladay is, let me explain something to you: If the Blue Jays want the entire Phillies farm system, they can have it. He’s that good.

Halladay is the only pitcher alive with a decent chance to reach 300 wins (he’s well ahead of Randy Johnson’s pace at the same age). He pitches deep into almost every game, allowing overworked bullpens to recuperate. He throws an incredible sinker, thus negating the home runs surrendered by the Safe-Deposit Box. And most importantly, he stays healthy.

There is absolutely no downside to trading for Halladay. Do you really want to pass him up to protect a 21-year-old pitcher who’s already had Tommy John surgery and hasn’t proven anything at the major league level? Even if Kyle Drabek or any of the other prospects go on to become stars somewhere else, the Phillies are built to win NOW, and Halladay would all but clinch another World Series appearance or two (maybe more if they extended his contract).

Let’s play a game of best/worst:

— Best case scenario in trading for Roy Halladay: He takes pressure off Cole Hamels, with whom he forms the best 1-2 punch in the majors and leads the current core group of Phillies to three of the next five World Series (after they sign him to a four-year contract extension), winning two of them.

— Worst case: Barring some kind of freak accident/injury, he wins 30 games over the next season-and-a-half, leading them to the playoffs at least once; they fail to resign him for 2011 and beyond and Kyle Drabek wins a Cy Young for the Blue Jays in 2012, who still haven’t made the playoffs since 1993.

Wouldn’t you still make that deal? Meanwhile…

— Best case scenario in signing Pedro Martinez: The Phillies spend $4 million on a washed up future Hall of Famer who surrenders 15 home runs in 10 starts and finishes the year 4-4 with a 4.50 ERA and/or on the IR; maybe they make the playoffs in 2009, maybe not.

— Worst case: They spend $4 million on a washed up future Hall of Famer who blows his shoulder out before he ever leaves Allentown. Meanwhile, Halladay is traded to the Mets or somewhere else and signs with the Mets as a free agent in 2011, tormenting the Phillies with Johan Santana for years to come.

That was money well spent. But at least they kept Drabek to make that World Series run three years from now.

Championships are really, really, really hard to come by in major sports today. The Phillies have a core group of great players under contract for the next three years (some longer) who are all entering their prime and who have already won one World Series. With Roy Halladay on the roster, they could dominate the National League and have a great puncher’s chance at a few more championships. Or they could play it cheap and hope that what they’ve got is good enough to get it done again, even though history has proven it rarely is.

For God’s sake, go for it now, Ruben. Whatever it takes, he’ll be worth it.

Update: Signing Martinez seems to be a done deal; however, there’s some indication that this decision is not a matter of Pedro vs. Halladay, but that Pedro is merely insurance against the continued struggles of Jamie Moyer and the revolving fifth starter door that’s been spinning since Brett Myers was injured. If that’s true, and Amaro is still serious about landing Halladay, then go ahead, take a flier on Pedro. If not, you’re dead to me, Ruben.

Who expected this to happen? Not the 0-2 start. That’s par for the course with this bunch. No, I mean joining the 1915 Boston Braves and 1943 St. Louis Cardinals for the worst offensive start to a season as defending World Series champions. One run in two games?!

While the Phillies usurped the Braves for the National League pennant in 1915, the Cardinals won 105 games and went back to the World Series in 1943 (losing to the Yankees), so try not to lose hope after two games.

They got another middling performance from their starting pitcher (Jamie Moyer), but that hardly mattered again thanks to jumpy hitters who failed to work counts and kept hitting the ball up into a stiff north wind. The only positive to take from last night was four walks and just three strikeouts from the lineup. Maybe today some of those balls they put in play will find a hole or drop in for hits here and there.

There are early signs of concern, of course. While, the Phillies managed to win the World Series with an awful RISP average, they aren’t going get back there if they keep driving I-77 with runners in scoring position. On the other hand, I actually think the pitching staff has done its job for the most part, and we haven’t even seen Cole Hamels yet. Moyer and Brett Myers each gave up four runs in their starts, and the bullpen has given up nothing. More often than not this season, four runs will be easy to overcome for this lineup.

So put the pitchforks back in the shed and the cyanide pills back in their cases. The Philadelphia Phillies get to pick up their World Series rings this afternoon. Remember that?

Tonight, the Philadelphia Phillies embark on their quest to become the first repeat champions of baseball from the National League since the 1975-76 Big Red Machine. Can they do it?

The short answer is: Why not? They’re basically the same team they were last year, and the competition in their league isn’t significantly better.

The long answer is a bit more complicated. It involves a long list of intangibles that have kept most teams outside of the Bronx from holding onto the World Series trophy for more than one year.

We’ll come back to those points momentarily, but in the meantime, meet your 2009 Philadelphia Phillies.

Catcher

Never would any of us have guessed that a guy who couldn’t hit water falling out of a boat most of last season would play such an instrumental part in the Phillies playoff run. Most importantly, the pitchers like Carlos Ruiz and the game he calls. If he can actually revert to a .250 hitter and bring life back to the 8-hole, all the better. Chris Coste remains backup catcher.

First Base

It seems obvious by now that Ryan Howard’s .313 batting average in 2006 was more an anomaly that the norm. He’s going to hit 40+ home runs, drive in 130+, strikeout close to 200 times and be an occasional liability on defense. Live with it. He’s only the best offensive first baseman in team history. Geez.

Second Base

It looks like Chase Utley’s hip seems back to normal, and that means another shot at an MVP trophy is back within reach. He’s not just the best second baseman in baseball or the best second sacker in team history, he’s a force of unmitigated professionalism and the most popular athlete in the Philadelphia (now that Brian Dawkins is gone). He’s the envy of every other team in baseball, and we’ve got him.

Third Base

Unlike his counterparts in the Phillies infield, Pedro Feliz is certainly not the greatest to ever play his position for the team. But he is about as good with the glove as anybody who plays the hot corner today, and there is significant value to preventing runs, even if it doesn’t show up on a stat sheet the way you’d like a third baseman to appear.

Shortstop

Rounding out the trio of greatest Phillie infielders is Jimmy Rollins, the spark plug and emotional leader of the team. In this age of great shortstops, Rollins may not be the absolute best of the bunch, but the overall package of talent and leadership make him unmatched among his peers in my eyes, and I wouldn’t trade him for any of them.

Left Field

This is the only position significantly different from last year’s team, and some (myself included) would call it an upgrade. Raul Ibanez is every bit the run producer Pat Burrell was without any of the defensive liability. Already it seems his new teammates like him quite a bit, and I’m not as concerned about the bunching of left-handed hitters in the middle of the order. This signing is going to work out quite well.

Center Field

Thanks to his postseason performance last year, Shane Victorino is no longer the best kept secret in center field. Bouncing between second and sixth in the lineup, the Flyin’ Hawaiian is always a base stealing threat and plays defense on par with the best center fielders in the league thanks to his fantastic speed and cannon of arm.

Right Field

We’ll get to see if Jayson Werth can find the consistency needed from an everyday player. Defensively, there’s nothing to worry about, but his streaky offensive nature could cause fits in that lineup, especially when Charlie Manuel decides to hit him fifth against lefties. Then again, that’s when Werth is at his best.

Starting Pitching

1. Cole Hamels: The Phillies first bona fide ace since Curt Schilling had a bit of arm trouble this spring, but he seems to have worked past it (fingers crossed). It doesn’t take Bill James to know the success of the 2009 Phillies rides on his left arm and the superlative changeup that floats off it.
2. Brett Myers: Thirty pounds lighter and entering a contract year, Myers gets the opening day start tonight (for what that’s worth) and hopes to earn a big multi-year deal from his 2009 season.
3. Jamie Moyer: The ageless one is coming off a 16-win season and still can’t garner any respect. Still, the Phillies will have to keep an eye on the oldest starter in the majors by far. Sending J.A. Happ to the bullpen provides some left-handed insurance should Moyer’s age finally catch up with him.
4. Joe Blanton: Blanton has pitched like a man possessed this spring, and his durability is exactly what you want from a No. 4 starter. Being able to count on 200 innings from that spot benefits everyone, especially the bullpen over the long course of a season. If he turns out to be more than the sum of those durable parts—all the better.
5. Chan Ho Park: The biggest waste of $60 million ever spent by the Texas Rangers resuscitated his career in the Dodgers’ bullpen and earned the fifth spot in the Phillies rotation with an outstanding spring and the fact that he’s right handed. If he fails to deliver, Happ will be in the bullpen chomping at the bit.

Bullpen

One of the strongest elements of the Phillies pitching staff starts the year a little weaker with the absence of J.C. Romero because of his absurd 50-game suspension. But that means it could end the year stronger with the freshest left-handed setup man in the majors. And let’s not forget the guy he’s setting up hasn’t blown a save since 2007. Will Brad Lidge finally let one get away this year? Probably. With a World Series championship under his belt, is anyone actually worried it will affect him when it happens? Definitely not I. Chad Durbin was clearly out of gas in the postseason, so hopefully Rich Dubee will keep an eye on his workload. Ryan Madson has turned into as good an eighth-inning setup guy as there is in the game.

Bench

This has been one of Manuel’s best weapons for a couple of years now. He has the league’s best pinch hitter in Greg Dobbs and a guy he can plug in just about anywhere in Eric Bruntlett. The only thing he doesn’t have is some right-handed power, but that hasn’t hurt him so far, and I frankly find the obsession over this point unnecessary. If you’re looking for power from your bench, you’re looking in the wrong place.

Manager

I believe Charlie Manuel’s in-game decisions benefited greatly from the presence of a man no longer on the bench: Jimy Williams. But his management of the players under his care has been exceptional. He treats them like adults and expects them to behave as such, but never lets them forget they play a game for a living and should stay loose and have fun. Larry Bowa deserves a lot of credit for helping remove the stink of losing surrounding this franchise, but Manuel is the one who made professional ball players and eventual champions out of this once ragtag bunch of guys. Basically he delivered a championship to Philadelphia and shut us all up.

If you believe the Phillies toughest competition in their division and the whole National League for that matter to be the New York Mets, I believe the situation to be the same as it was last year. With the exception of third base and center field, there isn’t a single position where I would rather have one of their players. I’m not even sure I would swap Johan Santana for Hamels anymore. Most importantly, the Mets have choked like Henry VIII on a ham bone the last two seasons; and I’m convinced they’re carrying a bit of the same loser aura that surrounds teams like the Cubs, another franchise some consider to be the NL favorites.

The Phillies, on the other hand, are brimming with confidence and no doubt will return to work with the same level of focus and tenacity that made them champions last year. Does that mean they’re a lock to repeat? Hardly. Injuries, other calamities or a surprise contender that simply outplays them could quickly derail that dream. But when it comes to winning another pennant, I’m inclined to lean toward my short answer: Why not?