Phillies Fans: Prepare For Second Consecutive October Celebration

In Major League Baseball, defending a World Series title is a tall order. Few teams are up to the task while many more fall short of defending their crown. As the sun rose Wednesday, the Phillies were among the favorites to win the National League pennant...like they were for much of the first half of the 2009 season. By sunset, though, they became the favorites to win it all this October. The Phillies added reigning American League Cy Young winner Cliff Lee Wednesday, bolstering a starting rotation that wasn't exactly struggling. Lee and his 3.14 earned run average-which ranked sixth in the AL before the trade-join a starting rotation, led by young guns J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels. Jamie Moyer is no slouch and two-time Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez will make one heck of a back-end starter once he makes his Philadelphia debut. Lee will undoubtedly flourish over the next month or two. First, most National League batters will be seeing Lee for the first time. Second-and most import...