Last year, the Red Sox celebrated their championship by re-signing World Series MVP Mike Lowell and bringing back several other role players. Their only major addition from outside the organization was bench bat Sean Casey. Needless to say, that kind of stability in the era of free agency has become increasingly rare, and the Phillies won't be an exception.Of course, the Phillies aren't exactly the 1997 Marlins either. They have a strong young core intact. Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Brad Lidge are all under contract or the club's control for the near future. That five-player spine should be enough to make Philadelphia one of the favorites in the National League next season.
But the status of some of the second-tier players who were integral in the championship run is up in the air heading into the winter. Pat Burrell is at the top of that list. The left fielder is a woeful defender and will never hit for average, but his patience and power will be sorely missed if he signs somewhere else.
Jamie Moyer is also a free agent. He could pitch until he's 50. He could walk off into the sunset. Either way, he made 33 starts for the Phillies during the regular season and three more in the postseason. That too will not be easy to replace.
In the
It's a good thing the Rays won the American League pennant, because had the Red Sox won, the Phillies might have had to juggle their starting rotation. Or something like that. From
In the 
Personal history and numbers don't always guide on-field performance, but they can give us a quick insight into who carries the advantage -- if ever so slight -- into a particular game.
In the
Normally, losing Game 1 at home is a very large blow to a team's chances of winning the series. That's not really the case here; this was a tough loss for the Rays, but the way the series set up it was almost expected. The first game was much more vital for Philadelphia than for Tampa Bay, as a good portion of the Phillies' hopes lie on the shoulders of 
The Phillies and the Rays are headed to the World Series. It couldn't be more exciting if it was the Yankees vs. the Red Sox! After boring divisional series and a snorefest of an ALCS, the Rays are brandishing their Rayhawks and cowbells and are ready to ring-loudly and have hair at the visiting Philadelphia fans. What do the Phillies have?

