CLEARWATER, Fla. — In a way, Cliff Lee did sign with the Yankees.
When closer Brad Lidge was asked by The Post yesterday about the Phillies’ aspirations now that Lee is No. 2 in their Phantastic Phour rotation, he said it’s win the World Series or bust.
“A lot of guys in here, we all feel like we need to win the World Series this year,” Lidge explained. “Anything short of that is not going to be what we wanted. We need to win this thing. This is a rare opportunity to have this kind of rotation in this game.
“The fact we have those guys, it seems no matter how hot a team is that we’re playing in the postseason, it shouldn’t matter. I’ve never seen anything like the rotation we have out there.”
When it was mentioned to Lidge that is the Yankees’ thought process every spring, he laughed and said: “Yeah, it’s amazing how it’s changed a little bit, but I guess we have that same mentality right now. Our brass has given us every opportunity. Now we need to go out there and deliver.”
The Phillies took the first small step yesterday with pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training. The place was buzzing because Lee is back in a Philly uniform again. And to think, it was just a few years ago the Mets thought they were the team to beat in the NL East.
The Mets are not even a blip on the Phillies’ radar screen. The Phillies, who lost to the world champion Giants in the NLCS last October, see themselves as being baseball’s best now that Lee has been added to a rotation that includes 2010 NL Cy Young winner Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. The fifth starter is Joe Blanton. Halladay has been coming in at 5:30 in the morning this past week to set the tone for the new season.
Pitching coach Rich Dubee said all five starters could throw 200 innings this year.
The Phillies are such a big story they have a media event scheduled for this afternoon to formally showcase The Rotation.
Lee was not available for interviews yesterday but the lefty briefly stopped by his locker. He was reminded of an appearance he made recently in Philadelphia when during a Q&A session a young fan asked if he signed with the Phillies “because the Yankees [stink].”
“The Yankees do not [stink],” Lee said yesterday and that day to the fan.
Lee pitched for the Phillies in 2009 when the Yankees beat the Phillies in the World Series. Over the last two years Lee is 3-0 vs. the Yankees in the postseason.
That day he said he returned to Philadelphia because he liked the National League, his family enjoyed their time in Philadelphia and he believes the Phillies are “a better team than the Yankees.”
That is why Lee spurned the Steinbrenners and signed with the Phillies for $120 million over five years.
“I think the biggest motivator was that Philadelphia jumped into his heart and he really wanted to play here again,” Dubee said.
“He likes the National League game,” added Dubee, who has joked with manager Charlie Manuel that on days he pitches, Lee should bat fifth. The fact that Lee, Halladay and Oswalt all wanted to come to Philadelphia shows how much this franchise has changed through the years.
The row of lockers showcasing the rotation is impressive with Lee on the corner, an empty locker, then Halladay, Hamels and couple doors down comes Oswalt.
“I was going to bring a recliner to spring training, but I figured I better stay on my feet for a while,” cracked Dubee.
Lidge said he didn’t think Lee would return. “Then when we signed him, immediately, all my friends started texting me saying, ‘You guys aren’t going to lose a game this year.’
“We should win a lot.”
When the number 110 was mentioned, Lidge smiled and said, “I’ll take it.”
It’s World Series or bust.