The Phils have taken yet another amazing journey to the post-season in 2009. One of the guys who’s been with the team, in the locker room, through pretty much the entire season is John R. Finger from CSNPhilly.com. Finger has been covering the Phils for years for the new and improved Comcast SportsNet website. He’s really captured the pulse of this team in his columns and blogs. I caught up with him this morning, before game one of the NLDS to talk Phils baseball. Here’s our exchange:

SHAY RODDY: Obviously you were right in the middle of the clubhouse celebration. How did it compare to celebrations of previous years? How do you think having been there plays in to the Phils’ attitude now?

JOHN R. FINGER: Honestly, after the first time the Phillies clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time in forever, the clubhouse celebrations have lacked the raucousness. Mostly, it seems like players go nuts with the champagne and stuff out of duty and traditional rather than anything else. Plus, a beer company sponsors the “celebration” now, which makes it oh so authentic.

Nevertheless, those situations are always fun. Contrived, but fun.

SR: Charlie Manuel made an interesting decision bringing in Brad Lidge to pitch the final out. Is this just Charlie’s class on display, or has he not completely moved on from using Brad as closer?

JRF: There has been no indication by anyone that Brad Lidge will not close games. He might not get the call every time in the ninth inning–in fact, I’ll wager Manuel sizes up the matchups before bringing in the ninth-inning guy. That very well could be Lidge in certain situations.

About the ninth inning against Houston in the clincher… that was very cool. Everyone wants a boss that shows loyalty and is looking out for you and in that regard, Charlie Manuel came up huge. Lidge definitely appreciated it, too.

SR: Jamie Moyer is out for the playoffs, which means an already thin bullpen loses another piece. Is anything really lost here, or is he a replaceable part of the pen?

JRF: Jamie Moyer is replaceable, but somehow he really got to be pretty good coming out of the bullpen. No, there wasn’t a big body of work to draw from, but he adapted better than most people thought he would. I didn’t like the sulking after he got moved from the rotation, but you have to give him big props for steeling up his resolve and doing the job.

But, yes, Moyer’s left-handedness will be difficult to replace.

SR: What’s your biggest concern heading into the playoffs?

JRF: More than the bullpen, the Phillies’ situational hitting might be the biggest concern. They just didn’t get it done in the last months of the season as far as manufacturing runs. Teams can’t always slug their way to a win in the playoffs, so they have to be able to have some offensive savvy. I’m not sure if the Phillies can do that if they don’t get some type of a running game going.

SR: Where do you see this team going?

JRF: There’s no reason why the Phillies can’t go back to the World Series. That’s the beauty of baseball — the conventional wisdom rarely pans out. However, to get there the Phillies will have a tougher road and they will need a lot of things to go right. I think they can beat Colorado and probably Los Angeles, but I’m not sure how well they match up with the Cardinals right now.

But then again, we’ll see.

SR: What is the biggest key to winning the World Series for this team?

JRF: Pitching and defense are always the biggest keys and it will be no different this year. The Phillies did it with pitching last year and I’m afraid they are going to have to dial it up (and then some) if they want to repeat this year. Tall order.

When the Phillies get set to take on the Rox tomorrow, we want you all filled in on where the team stands. So, we rounded up some of the best Phillies bloggers in the area for a round table discussion. Our panel contains some of the most respected writers in the business.

Amanda Orr

Amanda Orr considers herself an avid Phillies fan.  She covers the Phillies not only for her own blog, Swing and a Long Drive, but also for the extremely popular PhilliesNation.com.  Her work can be read here.

GM-Carson

The guy known by Phillies fans a “GM-Carson” runs one of the most popular blogs on the web.  We Should Be GMs looks at the Phillies in a slightly different way.  Carson, who admits to being obsessed with the Phillies, is one of the smartest Phillies analysts out there.  You can read his work here.

Tug Haines

Tug Haines is fairly new to the covering the Philly sports scene. After years as a die-hard Phillies fan, Chris Jones discovered Tug’s tremendous wit and terrific writing style. Tug began as a part-timer at the now dormant Long Drive in April. Since then he has become a regular contributor to the widely popular TheFightins.com. His work can be read here.

Kevin McGuire

Kevin McGuire has been covering the Phillies for over a year. After spending time covering the team as a columnist for BleacherReport.com, he opened his own shop, Macho Row in 2009. In addition to covering the Phillies, he is a Penn State football columnist for Examiner.com. His work can be read here.

So let’s get right to it. Here is your 2009 round table:

Without J.C. Romero, and likely without Chan Ho Park, where does the Phillies depleted bullpen stand? Is it good enough to make it through the playoffs?

AMANDA ORR: I’m very concerned about the bullpen. The reason that the Phillies won the World Series last year was because of their bullpen. Not only did most of the guys have career years last season, but they were all healthy. It is very different this year. They have been depleted with injuries all year. The pen lacks a situational lefty right now, other than Scott Eyre. J.A Happ could pitch an inning from the pen and still make his scheduled start. The closer situation is still a question mark. Teams have won with a “closer by committee” but we all know about Brad Lidge’s struggles, and even Ryan Madson’s at times. The bullpen is the biggest issue right now.

GM-CARSON: Honestly, I don’t think so.  If the game is close and late, I have zero confidence in Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson’s ability to lock down the save/win.  Without Romero and Park others have to step up into the set-up role (Walker, Durbin, Condrey, Eyre), and I’m not sure they’re ready for the pressure of those situations.  Also, the overall mental and physical health of the bullpen is at a season-low, so expecting good things from this group is foolish in my opinion.  I’m hoping to be proven wrong, but I’m not holding my breath…

TUG HAINES: I’m not too concerned about the lack of J.C. Romero. In the 2 1/3 innings he has pitched for the team this season, he has thrown about 271 pitches, all of them balls. I am concerned about the lack of Chan Ho Park, big time. I dreaded his starts in the beginning of the season, but as a reliever, he was the only one on the staff that didn’t give me agita when he pitched. His ability to go multiple innings was a major help, too.These guys haven’t really been able to settle into specific roles this season, with all the shuffling around due to injuries and the whole closer fiasco. So asking me where this bullpen stands isn’t fair, because I’m not sure these guys know where they stand. Not like they did last year, anyway. Everyone knew who was pitching the eighth and ninth. Throw in a quality start and you got maybe one inning, maybe less, to worry about. But that dream is over. The reality is, these men are all going to have to dig deep into personal reserves to make it through the playoffs again. And of course they can do it. I know they are good enough, and tough enough.

KEVIN McGUIRE: The bullpen is a big question mark for me. I am not sold on Ryan Madson as a closer and who knows how Brad Lidge will throw when called upon. The Phillies are in a less than desirable situation in which guys like Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo, and Sergio Escalona are going to be on the playoff roster. Really? I am not confident enough in having so many unproven pitchers in the bullpen on the playoff roster. Can they surprise me? Sure, I hope they do. But looking at them on paper there is no way I could say that this bullpen is good enough for the Phillies to win it all.

Obviously, you have two options at fourth starter—Pedro Martinez and J.A. Happ. Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel has yet to name his fourth starter, despite naming his first two starters and his entire roster. Who would you go with in that spot?

AMANDA ORR: J.A Happ.  Pedro has a nagging neck injury, and I wonder if it’s more than his neck.  During an interview on CSN, Martinez said something about his rib, which was a little suspicious. And frankly, Happ deserves it.  He is a top candidate for the Rookie of the Year Award.  He’s had an excellent year.  I’d rather get 7+ innings from Happ than a couple out of the bullpen.  Also, getting Pedro through six innings is kind of iffy.

GM-CARSON: I like Happ starting more, but based on bullpen needs and Happ’s ability to pitch in relief, I choose Pedro for the rotation.  Pedro has had bad 1st innings—9 ip, 14 h, 6 r, 3 hr, .350/1.095 average/OPS against, so relieving doesn’t make much sense, as it seems it takes him an inning to get loose and become effective.  Happ on the other hand has proven to pitch well no matter the role, so needing someone to possibly eat innings or be a second lefty in the pen lands him there.

TUG HAINES: I’m inclined to say start Pedro fourth because I’ve really taken a shine to the “Old Goat” since he joined the Fightins. He also has more playoff experience, which goes a long way. But he’s got little-nagging-old-man-type injuries, and his knack for giving out freebies in the first inning shouldn’t fly in the postseason, for me anyway. And J.A. “stop calling me Jay-A” Happ is a young stud who has proven he can shut down opponents. Which is crucial to this inconsistent-of-late offense.

KEVIN McGUIRE: It is a very good debate as to what the Phillies should do with a fourth starter (assuming Joe Blanton is the third). In the first round of the playoffs against the Rockies I think the best option would actually be to throw J.A. Happ over Pedro Martinez, based solely on his success against Colorado this season as well as the struggles of the Rockies vs. lefties. I would actually throw Happ in a game three, just against the Rockies. Should the Phillies be fortunate enough to play in the NLCS and maybe the World Series, then Pedro Martinez would get my vote for fourth starter.

Charlie made a popular move to bring in Brad Lidge to pitch the final out of the division clincher. Was this just a fitting gesture of respect or a sign of things to come in the playoffs?

AMANDA ORR: Definitely a sign of respect.  As far as seeing it happen in the postseason, I doubt it.  The Phillies had a big enough lead to do it.  If it were a one-run lead in Game Seven of the World Series, I think he’ll go with the best matchup.

GM-CARSON: Both.  At first I was confused when he came out and yanked Eyre with two outs in the ninth with a large lead.  Then when I saw Lidge, I understood.  I wouldn’t have made that move, but I respect Charlie for doing it and thought it was very classy.  Based on Manuel’s comments recently and the fact that Madson is better served as an eighth inning guy, I foresee Lidge coming in for a save opportunity in the playoffs.

TUG HAINES: Both. Definitely a fitting gesture of respect, that’s obvious. But Lidge is probably going to get the ball in situations involving leads of three-plus runs. Good decision? Maybe. Remember, Uncle Cholly has a way of making people think he’s out of his mind until his players make him look like a genius.

KEVIN McGUIRE: Both. Manuel will tell you he was just trying to make the best moves to win that game, but they were up seven runs with one out to go so we know that is not true. I think it was more of a confidence booster, letting Lidge know that despite the struggles he has gone through this season, Manuel still has faith in him and the fans really do have his back. Having said that, I would be just fine not seeing Lidge in the ninth inning whenever possible. He has been too oopsie-daisey this season for my liking.

Cliff Lee started out 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA in his first five starts with the Phillies. However, in seven starts since that time he has gone 2-4 with a 6.19 ERA. He’s thrown a career high 231.2 innings this season. Has he simply hit a wall or will he return to his dominant stuff through the playoffs?

AMANDA ORR: It’s hard to say.  He has never pitched this many innings before, and has never pitched in the postseason.  I expect him to return to form.  I think it’s just a slump.

GM-CARSON: His location is poor and breaking pitches haven’t been crisp.  I don’t think he’ll dominate, but I also don’t think he’ll stink.  Think 6-7 innings, 3-4 runs.

TUG HAINES: The guy’s Kool-Aid. Any wall he hits is going to get smashed. Let Cole pitch Game ONe, move Lee to Game Three, give him that extra rest and watch him burn these Rockies out. Besides, Hamels might get the sniffles in that cold mountain air and have to stop pitching after the second to go eat some soup. Clifton will just use that snot to add some extra what-have-you to his breaking pitches and make Colorado look even more ridiculous than they already do. (Purple? Really?)

KEVIN McGUIRE: I don’t think he will pitch as well as he did in his 5-0 start with the team, but I also don’t think Cliff Lee is going to get rocked the way he has against the Braves. As long as Lee can pitch seven solid innings I would think that should be good enough to give the Phillies a chance to win, and that’s all I really ask of my starters.
But hey, if he wants to throw complete game gems this month, that’s fine by me as well.

What do you do at closer in the playoffs? Do you tell Ryan Madson he’s your guy, do you go with closer by committee, or do you think abstractly and make someone like J.A. Happ or Pedro Martinez your closer?

AMANDA ORR: Closer by committee, with Ryan Madson the main go-to guy.

GM-CARSON: If Happ is in the bullpen, I hand him the ball in the ninth.  I know he’s never done it before, but seriously, he couldn’t do worse than Lidge has this season.  Lidge had one of the worst seasons for closers in the history of the game, so it’s doubtful he’s able to flip that magic switch come postseason.

TUG HAINES: I don’t understand what’s so hard about letting the situation dictate who pitches the ninth. A couple of guys have been rattling their SABR’s since June about Madson being the best reliever on the team. But Madson makes me nervous when he closes, and it’s my world, in case you haven’t figured that out yet. I say lean on Madson, but if you have to let three pitchers pitch to three batters, do it. This isn’t April, we aren’t looking to save our strength for the rest of the marathon. It’s October, and get it done. I don’t care whose feelings get hurt, as long as they aren’t mine.

KEVIN McGUIRE: I usually say you should do whatever move is the best option to win, unfortunately I think it is past the time where you experiment with Happ or Martinez in the critical role of closer. As I said before, I am not sold on Madson as a closer so I am in favor of a closer by committee at this point in time. That means starting the inning with Madson or Lidge and having the other guy warming up, ready to come in. If you can get your starters to go seven innings that should help because then you might be able to save lefty specialist Scott Eyre for certain batters. If game one goes to a save situation entering the ninth inning though, I trot out Brad Lidge and take my chances. See what happens and go from there.

What’s your biggest concern headed into the NLDS?

AMANDA ORR: The bullpen.

GM-CARSON: Pitching and Chase Utley.  Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Joe Blanton along with the dilapidated bullpen have been ineffective lately.  Chutley just looks spent.

TUG HAINES: Offense. These guys don’t look loose to me. Right now, they’re like the legendary little girl with the little curl in the middle of her forehead. When they’re good, they’re very, very good. But when they’re bad, well…google it.

KEVIN McGUIRE: As much of a microscope we can all put on the bullpen, the truth is the starting pitching has been just as mediocre heading down the stretch. If the starters continue this recent trend of giving up early runs it will not matter who comes out of the bullpen because the Phillies will be playing catch-up all game long. I don’t think a baseball team or player can just flip a switch once the postseason starts. It takes a nice play or a lucky play to really do that. If Cole Hamels or Cliff Lee goes out and strikes out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning then maybe that can do it. The starting pitching can not get behind early because if they do, the fans will get out of the game, and the offense will start swinging at pitches they shouldn’t. Starting pitching should be the biggest concern.

Where do you see this team finishing? Do they repeat as world champs or make an unexpected early exit?

AMANDA ORR: In the last round table discussion I said “hoping for a repeat” so I’ll go with that!

GM-CARSON: Eliminated in first round against the Rox in four games.

TUG HAINES: WFC, baby.

KEVIN McGUIRE: At the beginning of the season I predicted the Yankees would beat the Phillies in the World Series. At this point I don’t see any reason to go against that. But reaching the World Series will not be easy for either team.I can see the Phillies losing in any round, to the Rockies, Dodgers, or Cardinals before the World Series.

The number one question I’ve been getting this week is who will make the Phillies postseason roster. So let’s take a look at it:

You have the obvious eight starters: SS, Jimmy Rollins; CF, Shane Victorino; 2B, Chase Utley; 1B, Ryan Howard; LF, Raul Ibanez; RF Jayson Werth; 3B, Pedro Feliz; C, Carlos Ruiz.

You have nine pitching locks: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, Pedro Martinez, J.A. Happ, Brad Lidge, Scott Eyre, Ryan Madson, and Brett Myers.

You have four bench locks: OF, Matt Stairs; U, Greg Dobbs; OF, Ben Francisco; C, Paul Bako.

That leaves you with four more available spots and seven people on the bubble: Miguel Cairo, Eric Bruntlett, Clay Condrey, Chad Durbin, Kyle Kendrick, Antonio Bastardo, and Tyler Walker. Let’s take a look at each bubble player’s strengths:

Miguel Cairo, INF – Cairo looked to be a long shot, spending much of the season in the Phillies’ farm system but as of late he has really been playing strong. Since his August recall, Cairo is 10-for-28 with five runs scored and two RBI.

He also has been successful in the postseason and brings a lot of experience to the Phillies’ bench. Phillies manager Charlie Manuel says he might bring just 11 pitchers to make room for the hot-hitting Cairo.

Eric Bruntlett, INF/OF-Bruntlett will most likely make the team, considering he’s been with them all year. His speed could be used to pinch run late in games. He could also potentially be used, much like he was last year, as a defensive replacement.

Clay Condrey, RHP-When Condrey’s been healthy, he’s been very solid. However, Condrey is coming off a strained oblique. He’s been back for over three weeks, but you can’t afford wasting a roster spot on someone who isn’t completely healthy.

If the Phillies can make certain Condrey is 100 percent he could prove to be a valuable asset to a thin bullpen.

Chad Durbin, RHP-After a mediocre season, Durbin has finished as hot as it gets.  In his last seven outings, Durbin hasn’t allowed a run, and has surrendered just three hits. Durbin presents a tricky decision for Manuel because he hasn’t pitched well considering the season as a whole. Sometimes it pays off to play the hot hand though.

Kyle Kendrick, RHP-Kendrick has spent most of the season in the minor leagues, working on developing another pitch. However, he joined the big club in September and pitched effectively in a long relief role.

Since Jamie Moyer went down to torn tendons in his groin and abdomen, Kendrick has stepped up his game even more. He could provide effective long relief, while salvaging the rest of the bullpen if a starter were to get in trouble early.

Antonio Bastardo, LHP-Bastardo has weaseled his way into the discussions with the loss of J.C. Romero for the season.  Without Romero, the Phils will only have one lefty in their bullpen—Scott Eyre.

Eyre has pitched well as of late, but the Phils will likely want to have another lefty specialist, particularly to face Todd Helton in the late innings. Bastardo could make the roster if the team decides another lefty is necessary.

Tyler Walker, RHP-After seemingly pitching his way into being a playoff lock, Walker hit a rough patch late in the season, allowing four runs in back-to-back games against the Brewers and Astros without recording an out.

However, he has turned it around, pitching three consecutive scoreless innings to close out the season. Walker could provide good situational pitching against righties or solid seventh innings, if he can keep up his recent success.

So who makes it? My picks would be Miguel Cairo, Clay Condrey, Kyle Kendrick, and Tyler Walker.

It’s hard for me to leave Bruntlett, who many consider to be a lock, off the roster, but I have to go with the hot bat in that situation. An area that hasn’t gotten a lot of attention is the bench, which is rather depleted.

I’ll take as many bats there as I can. If Burrell were still on the team, you’d have to take Bruntlett, but everyone in the starting eight is capable of running for themselves.

All the others seem pretty straight forward to me. You could make the argument for Bastardo over Kendrick, but with the uncertainty regarding some of the starters, not having a long reliever could prove to be a big mistake.

The Phillies have until 10 AM Wednesday to hand in their roster, but Manuel is expected to announce his roster to the media tomorrow.

He called games in 1980, where he reached a high-note in the League Championship Series as his beloved Phils moved on to the World Series. But that’s where his run came to an end. Local broadcasters were forbidden to call the World Series, a rule that sidelined Harry for that chapter of baseball history.

The absence of Harry when the team was on baseball’s grandest stage infuriated Phillies fans. Through their letters and protests, they got the rule changed a year later.

Harry came to Philly in 1971, after the Phils lured Bill Giles to Philly to help unveil the Vet. And Bill Giles knew the perfect master of ceremonies. When he got here, he wasn’t instantly popular. He was far from a legend. He was known as “the guy who replaced Bill Campbell.” But it didn’t take Harry long to win Philadelphia’s heart.

He joined a team of some of the single greatest broadcasters ever, including his long time broadcast partner and lifelong best friend, Richie Ashburn. Ashburn and Kalas teamed up to become what could be described as a long running Broadway act. They performed each year from April to September, bringing their shows to the homes an cars of Phillies fans.

They were the perfect team.

But in 1997, the Phillies ventured to New York, where the Phillies would take on the Mets at Shea. And after the game, a tragedy occurred- Ashburn had a heart attack and died.

In the years following Ashburn’s death, Harry was never quite the same. He worked with numerous broadcast partners, none of which were anything like Whitey.

In 2004, Harry received Baseball’s grandest honor, and induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

He continued to call games for the next few years. And as his beloved Phils began to build up hopes of winning another World Series title, Harry brought fans all of the action, as only he could.

Finally, in 2008 there was justice. On a perfect autumn night, with the sky-scraping buildings shimmering in the background, the Phils once again wrote their name into the history of this city. This time, Harry was there to document every second, calling the final out.

After Harry led the city in celebration, he returned to his home in Media. He was a super-star, but that’s never how he looked at it. He was still the same guy, who you would regularly see at the Wawa, filling up his coffee cup and chatting with everyone in the store. He never lost sight of why he had a job in the first place—the fans.

After arriving at 2009 Spring Training late, after having what, at the time, was an undisclosed operation, Harry seemed to fit right back into his groove. He called games the same way he always did for the first weeks of the 2009 season. But, on April 13, he died, after collapsing in the press box at Nationals Park.

It was the most unbelievable day. A monument had fallen. No one knew quite how to react.

His memorial service was held at Citizens Bank Park. He was one of three people ever to be remembered with an on-field memorial service. The others- Jack Buck and Babe Ruth. And I don’t doubt for a second that Harry fits right into that category. He transcended the game of baseball, which is something you can’t say about many people.

Tonight, at Citizens Bank Park, Harry will be remembered once again and honored, in a ceremony for the consummate master of ceremonies, as he will join the Phillies’ Wall of Fame.

But as the deadline inches closer, maybe it’s time for Amaro to move on. The price for Halladay is just too steep.

“If the Phillies think for one minute that they’re going to get [Halladay] for anything other than top dollar, they’d better go get Cliff Lee,” a baseball executive told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.

So maybe Amaro should move on to someone a little cheaper. Someone who could be of similar value to Halladay, but not quite as elite. Maybe Amaro should take a look at Lee.

Lee, who’ll be 31 next month, is a two time Cy Young Award Winner and proven pitcher, who could bolster the Phillies deep into the playoffs. And he won’t come at too steep of a cost.

He seems to be the perfect fit.

Though accomplished pitchers always come with a price-tag, Lee might only cost you pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, as apposed to Drabek and lefty J.A. Happ, as the Blue Jays demanded.

An Indians scout (as well as a Blue Jays scout) was in Reading tonight, where Drabek improved to 7-1, going seven strong innings.

CSNPhilly.com Phillies beat writer and friend of Phillie Phanatics, John Finger talked to Drabek after the game about all of the rumors flying around. “It’s a little weird,” Drabek said. “I didn’t think it would happen like this, but I’m trying not to think about it. I just go out there and pitch.”

But weird or not, the end may be near for Drabek, as he’d be the logical piece in a trade for Lee.

Drabek wouldn’t complete the deal though, and another likely piece would be Carlos Carrasco. Assistant General Manager Chuck Lamar told Dave Murphy from the Philadelphia Daily News that the organization holds Carrasco in high regard.

“He’s one of the top pitching prospects, not only in our organization, but in all of minor league baseball,” Lamar said.

“He’s thrown the curve ball almost exclusively since we signed him. He’s one of those unique guys who can spin the ball, and he can throw both (the slider and the curve).”

Lamar said he has seen an improvement in Carrasco’s ability to pitch inside, an art that takes many pitchers a long time to master.

“It never seems to come easy to anybody,” Lamar said. “Carlos has adapted quicker than we thought he would. And I know in his last couple of starts he’s done a good job of challenging a guy inside.”

But with Carrasco and Drabek highly regarded by the organization, you can’t help but wonder if Amaro will be willing to pull the trigger.

It’s a high reward trade with the risk of losing some future greats. Count on Amaro to do what’s right. He’s been dead on so far.