I was talking about the Phillies’ chances in the World Series last week at work. I told a co-worker, “I think we have a good chance of sweeping the Yankees.” (Obviously, that was wrong, but that isn’t the point here.)

His reply was, “We? What position do you play?”

“I play fan,” I said.

I used to think the same way. People who say “we” when talking about their sports teams are a little too attached. It is not “we.” We are not a part of the team.

Or are we?

I now say that fan is the most important position in professional sports. I am not naive enough to say that we directly pay the players’ salaries. But without us, how much do you think FOX would pay Major League Baseball for national television rights?

If we don’t watch, how much do you think Bud Light would be paying FOX for commercial time? If we don’t watch, how much do you think Citizens Bank would have paid for rights to name the Phillies’ new stadium?

If we don’t watch, Alex Rodriguez is selling ladies shoes at Neiman Marcus.

If we don’t watch, Chase Utley is selling cars.

If we don’t watch, Cole Hamels is a barista at Starbucks. Maybe he should be anyway.

You think teams don’t listen to the fans?

They do.

Oh, don’t misunderstand, Andy Reid is not listening to Vinny from Palmyra (“Yo, dat McNabb is a bum, yous need to sign Tom Brady!”), but Reid knows that the fans want to win. Thus, he does what he thinks is best to achieve that goal. We may not always agree with his method, but he is trying.

We all want to win. Owners know this. They know we will buy less merchandise, and, in some cities, stop coming to games if our teams don’t win. (Hello, Jacksonville and Cincinnati.) The fans will hit you in the pocketbook if you continue to put out an inferior product.

Are you listening, Dan Snyder?

Probably not. But he is, I’m sure, aware of the discontent of his fans, because they are not coming to the games, which is costing him money. We know he is aware because he banned signs at FedEx Field, because, he says, they mar the experience of other fans.

Sure, Danno, not because of what the signs will say, but because they negatively influence the fan experience.

Teams fight all season for home field advantage. Why? Because we are there. We push them. We encourage them. We give them that extra burst to make that last pitch, or shot, or save, or pass.

The emotional outpouring after the Phillies’ World Series win last year was because of the fans’ long suffering drought. Player after player, coach after coach, executive after executive thanked the fans. Why?

Because without us, there is no game.

Not quarterback. Not goaltender. Not pitcher. Not point guard.

Fan.

Fan is the most important position in professional sports.

We win and lose, live and die with our teams. Yes, the players and coaches and owners care. But long after they are all gone, we will still be here.

We are the fans.

With his Major League leading eighth blown save, Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge is ever closer to fulfilling his boyhood dream of being in the record books for most blown saves in a single season.

“When I was a youngster, I always dreamed of breaking records in baseball,” said Lidge, after literally throwing away a game with the Atlanta Braves. “But there was always one that was near to my heart, the holy grail; the single season blown saves record.”

The current record for blown saves in a single season is 14, held by four different players. The last pitcher to achieve the feat was the Minnesota Twins’ Ron Davis in 1984.

Lidge was visibly choked up when talking about the record.

“That was a magical year, 1984,” said Lidge wistfully. ”It takes a special kind of situation. You can’t just suck. You have to suck in a special way.

“Kind of like I do this year.”

Lidge was in danger of saving the Braves game Saturday.

With his Phillies leading 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, it started off well enough for Lidge, with Braves OF Garret Anderson singling to right, just under the glove of Gold Glove second baseman Chase Utley.

“That was a break right there,” said Lidge.

Then, Matt Diaz laid down a bunt just to the right of Lidge. He had time to throw to second and start the double play.

“That went through my mind as I reached for the ball,” said Lidge. “But then I thought, the record!

“So, I bobbled the ball and threw it into right field. I had no choice, really.”

Anderson scored on the errant throw. Lidge, charged with two errors on the same play, knew his work was not done yet. He then walked the next two batters, one intentionally, then struck out Ryan Church.

“It was more dramatic that way,” he said.

Then, to the surprise of no one, Lidge left a slider over the plate that Omar Infante drove into left field for the win.

More importantly, for Lidge, he preserved the blown save.

“I really think I can do it if I get the opportunities,” said Lidge. “I’m glad Kim (Myers) hit (her husband and injured Phillies pitcher) Brett (Myers) in the eye like I asked her to. That should buy me a couple extra chances.”

When told that Kim denied that and that the Myers’ claimed that Brett fell out of his car, Lidge chuckled and said, “Sure, ok, whatever.”

“Six more to go. Wow, I can’t believe I am actually this close to history.”

It’s over. Brett Myers is coming back.

No, it’s cool, we know you’re a great guy and everything. It’s just that, well, you know, you really have been a terrible pitcher this year.

We can live with the major league leading seven blown saves. The law of averages says that’s probably about right with the perfect season last year. It really isn’t about the ERA either, really, although an ERA above seven is ridiculous.

No, it is the way you are blowing saves that concerns us, to the point where we need to end this now.

Your success is dependent on people chasing that nasty slider, because you can’t throw it for a strike. (Well, you can, but when you do, it gets hit hard.) People are on to this. They know that they can just wait out the sliders until you have to throw a fastball for a strike to hit, or a slider for a strike to hit, or continuous sliders off the plate or in the dirt until you walk them.

Let’s take Tuesday night in Chicago. You walked Kosuke Fukudome, who was then sacrificed to second. Behind in the count to Milton Bradley, you threw your slider over the plate, which, predictably, got smacked into center for a game-tying RBI single.

After the game, you wanted to focus on the walk. Regarding the pitches to Fukudome you said, “I guess I could have made them a little closer so they could be called strikes.”

Yes, Brad, you could have thrown them over the plate instead of trying to nibble. A pitcher working a perfect closing season gets those calls. A guy with six blown saves and an ERA north of a touchdown does not.

Look, you don’t have to explain. It’s not that we don’t love you, we do. You’re a great guy. It’s not you, it’s us. We just need more consistency, like Phillies’ pitching coach Rich Dubee says. You aren’t giving us what we need.

Look, Brad, don’t make this harder than it already is. It was fun, right? You can keep the ring. No, we insist. You can—wait, that’s our cell phone, hold on, we need to take this—hello? Hey, Brett, how’s it going?

You threw two simulated innings yesterday? No pain? You think you might be pitching in a rehab start within a week? Great! Hold on, what? Yes, he’s still here. We’re telling him now, hold on a second.

Look, Brad, we gotta go. Actually, you gotta go. Thanks again for last year. No, now. Goodbye, Brad.

Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball.

Let’s get that out of the way right now.

It isn’t that he wouldn’t make the Phillies World Series favorites; he absolutely would.

But what would be the price?

If the Blue Jays were asking for a ham sandwich and Eric Bruntlett, this trade would be a no brainer. But they are not.

Toronto general manager J. P. Ricciardi says that he is looking to be “blown away.”

Remember, Halladay is under contract through the end of 2010, so it isn’t as if the Jays have to trade him now or risk losing him for nothing.

They are not desperate.

They just stink.

Therefore, it will require a king’s ransom to make this happen. Logic says that the Blue Jays will require a major league pitcher (it isn’t going to be Brett Myers, kiddies), plus at least two, possibly three, blue chip prospects to get this done.

Thus, for the Phillies, you are looking at JA Happ, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and possibly Jason Donald or Lou Marson.

Happ has been their most consistent pitcher this season.

Drabek has wowed everyone in baseball with his comeback from Tommy John surgery, and is penciled in as at least the number three starter next year.

Michael Taylor is a legitimate five tool stud who may be an all-star for the next ten years.

Frankly, Donald and Marson are very good players, but not as good as those three,

Still, Marson is likely to be a very good catcher, and those don’t grow on trees. Donald is stuck until Jimmy Rollins leaves, so he is definitely tradeable.

Oh, and for those thinking that a package of Carlos Carrasco, Kyle Kendrick, Donald, and Marson will get it done, you are dreaming.

Not gonna happen.

The Blue Jays are not going to make that trade, sorry Charlie.

The fact of the matter is, with the addition of Pedro Martinez, the Phillies are good enough to win as constructed.

If you were told before the season that at the all-star break, the Phillies would be leading the division by four games with two games in hands, you would take that, wouldn’t you?

What if you were told that Pedro Martinez was going to be added to the rotation?

Would you take that?

In a heartbeat and that is where they stand.

They are hitting as well as they have all season. They are coming off one of their best homestands ever, and have a chance to bury the Marlins this week.

Now, they have a three-time Cy Young winning, World Series Champion, and future hall of famer taking the mound once every five days.

Is Martinez what he once was?

No but for the first time since early in 2006, he is healthy and his head is clear. His fastball is as good as it has been in years. He has a chip on his shoulder for not being signed until now.

Most importantly, he didn’t require the Phillies to gut their farm system to come aboard.

Remember 2008, when everyone was screaming for the Phillies to get the best pitcher available, CC Sabathia?

Remember that they got Joe Blanton instead?

Remember that the Brewers gutted their farm system to get Sabathia?

Sabathia and the Brewers went to the playoffs. Blanton and the Phillies got a ring.

It says here it happens again wiithout Roy Halladay.