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Source : Getty Image

By Gordon Edes

PHILADELPHIA – A.J.? Oy vey.

Or, #$@&!!@*, depending on the neighborhood.

Handed the chance to pitch the New York Yankees to their first World Series title since the turn of the century, A.J. Burnett(notes) cemented his reputation as Ol’ Unreliable, failing to retire a batter in the third inning before getting the hook

Unlike Bill Clinton, Burnett is from a place in Arkansas not called Hope (he hails from North Little Rock), but that’s exactly what he gave the Philadelphia Phillies, who tagged him for three runs in the first inning and three more in the third en route to an 8-6 win in Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night.

Burnett’s pitching line – 2 innings, 6 earned runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, and a hit batsman – ranks among the worst in Series history, in duration and ineffectiveness. Only two pitchers – Russ Ortiz(notes) of the 2002 Giants and Mordecai Brown of the 1906 Cubs – have given up more runs in as short a stint. His start was the shortest by anyone since Roger Clemens(notes) lasted only two innings for Houston in Game 1 in 2005 because of a bad hamstring.

Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett was taken out of the game in the bottom of the third inning.

(Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Like CC Sabathia(notes) in Game 4, Burnett pitched after only three days rest, one day less than usual. Unlike Sabathia, Burnett was vulnerable, although manager Joe Girardi said his struggles were unrelated to the short rest.

“It was a command issue,” Girardi said. “He felt good, he just struggled.”

It was the shortest outing by a Yankee pitcher since David Wells(notes) lasted only an inning of Game 5 in the 2003 Series because of back spasms, the day after he boasted that conditioning was overrated.

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By Gordon Edes

Source : Getty Image

PHILADELPHIA – These days, Brad Lidge(notes) is reading about the fall of Rome. No, he’s not looking for parallels.

Lidge is a student of archeology and religious studies. Last October, even as his primary focus was putting the finishing touches on his perfect season (48 saves in 48 chances) and the Philadelphia Phillies’ World Series title, the closer was taking online courses offered by Regis University, a Jesuit school based in Denver.

He’s not enrolled this go-round, but is reading in advance of a class he intends to take this winter and a trip he’s planning to Rome with his family.

“I love that stuff,” Lidge said.

But these days, the only excavating Lidge is doing resembles a salvage operation. He’s sifting through the wreckage of a regular season gone horribly wrong, one that not only was far removed from perfection, but was historically bad, in hopes that he can unearth the secret to becoming effective again.

“It hasn’t been the year I envisioned,” Lidge said, “but the good thing is we’re back in the playoffs. “I’m hoping things end the same way as last year. If they do, I’ll say it was a great year, despite it being a rough regular season.”

Time is running short. The Phillies begin their defense of their title Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park against the Colorado Rockies in a best-of-five division series, and manager Charlie Manuel is uncertain who to give the ball to in the ninth inning.

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By Jeff Passan

Source US Presswire

Outside of New York and Boston, nowhere does panic set in quicker than Philadelphia. Long forgotten are the first five starts of Cliff Lee’s(notes) career as a Phillie, each as brilliant as the previous, replaced by the last two, a pair of clunkers unseen by the left-hander since he was demoted to Triple-A two years ago.

The specter of that Cliff Lee materializing as opposed to the one who won the American League Cy Young last year is indeed frightening, particularly with less than a month until the playoffs commence – and Lee possibly starting Game 1. Cole Hamels(notes) is pitching well, Joe Blanton(notes) is outfoxing his high flyball-low groundball combination by stranding an unsustainable number of runners and Brett Myers(notes) is back in the bullpen from what should’ve been the first case of a player placed on the disabled list for perpetual idiocy.

In other words, the Phillies are fine without Lee trying to go all Orel Hershiser in his initial National League stint. They were going to win the NL East before Ruben Amaro Jr. fortified the team with an ace. They’re going to win the East with Lee, no matter how poorly he pitches.

And worry not, ye crowbar-wielding vigilantes and other masked purveyors of Philadelphian justice. Surely your eyes will feast on Lee’s next start Wednesday against Washington, as will those of the baseball world, and during it let the unenlightened know there’s a perfectly simple explanation as to what happened.

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