Phillies Cleats

First Base

Big first baseman Ryan Howard will be using his own larger than life signature Adidas to carry his 45 regular season taters to the October Bash. He was third in MLB with HRs this year, behind the Cards' Albert Pujols and the Brewers' Prince Fielder, and tied for the lead with Fielder with 141 RBIs.

All the guy has accomplished so far in the post season, is pass Lou Gehrig for the most RBIs in divisonal play-offs.

A strong potential Series MVP candidate, going in....

Second Base

At second base Chase Utley will complete an all-Adidas right side of the infield, though he won't be sporting these sweet grey versions Adolph Dassler's (founder of Adidas) people created for him especially for the All Star Game. Maybe if we say please, Adidas will start mass producing these "away" uniforms for other teams...

Chase's usual gold-glove caliber defense struggled a bit early in the play-off, but he was a steady hand again in the NLCS.

He carries a post-season .439 on-base percentage off a .301 Bavg into the WS. Expect him to pop at least two dingers against the Yankees. You heard it here first.

Shortstop

Jimmy Rollins is a Nike man. And if you are a super duper Nike trooper, you can buy these ultra-cool duds, signed by Jimmy for $300.... complete with the number "6" tatooed on the heel.

But if you really want to pull out the Nike stops, and you fancy a bit of Jimmy's DNA on your mantelpiece, for $750 you can buy these game-worn gems complete with the "J-Roll" embroidered on the tongue and his signature on the uppers. These shoes come with a genuine certificate, but do not specify which game Jimmy used them in.

At $750 a pair, we'd change shoes every inning.... but that's just us.

Anyways, Rollins is coming off a down year at the plate for him, batting only .250 and his SB production was 'down' to 31 this season too...

But the guy is still electric to watch on defense and has to be one of the smoothest fielders since the Wizard of Ozzie Smith.

Check out this Nike air:

Fans tend to forget that J-Roll's offense is supposed to just be the gravy on these potatoes.

That said, he has already gone clutch this off-season with a walk-off hit in the NLCS. Expect more of the same, he is a big time player, a natural for the big show.

Plus he is loads of fun to watch.

Third Base

Pedro Feliz completes an all Nike left side of the infield to complement an all Adidas right side for the Phillies.

Who knows, maybe Pedro's adding 20 points to his average this season compensated for the nearly the same amount of production dropped by J-Roll, to bring the Phillies right back where they started this time last year, back to the World Series.

It would make sense since the Phillies are all about team. Feliz is also a typical Philly in his style of play - hard work ethic and hard playing on game day.

Some people claim that "the mental game" is the difference between the Phillies and the Dodgers, and why they have sent LA packing in 5 games in the NLCS, two seasons in a row now.

Catcher

A team that shares its home town with Rocky needs a story like Carlos Ruiz. Drafted as an 18 year old Panamanian second basemen in 1998, 'Chooch' (as his teammates call him) spent 8 years learning how to catch before finally coming up to the majors for a short stint in 2006.

The next year he became the starting catcher, and now is recognized as a great rotation manager, game caller, and is a plus on defense.

He upped his avg to .260 this season, but what is really remarkable about "Chooch", is his step-ups in the post season.

This year he is batting .346 and has a .500(!) on-base percentage through 33 plate appearances in the play-offs and NLCS. In last year's WS he batted .375 with a home run and 2 doubles in 20 plate appearances as the Phillies walked all over Tampa Bay in five games.

Expect to see a Rocky II this year - in Phildelphia they are beginning to call their catcher Mr. Chooch-tober. Though we don't think that really sounds so cool, we know what they mean. What we cannot expect is that Carlos will settle the question as to whether the Phillies have a Nike or Adidas infield, since he prefers Reeboks, himself. The Phillies cleats are a mixed bunch!

Left Field

In Left Field Raul Ibanez' post season has largely mirrored his regular season, so far.

The Phillies picked Ibanez up in the off-season and he staretd the year on a tear, going .309 with 22 homers before the All-Star break, only to follow with a .232, 12 HR second half.

In the playoffs he hit .308 with a .471 on base percentage over 4 games against the Rockies only to follow with a NLCS versus the Dodgers batting .167, though he did pop one tater.

Which Ibanez shows up for the big show will play a big role in the Phillies chances to repeat this year.

By the way.... Ibanez has hit the longest Home Run in New Yankee Stadiums history...that was a 477 foot bomb in May.

When the Phillies played a three game intra-league in New York earlier this year he went 5 for 13 (.385) with 2 home runs and a walk, but that was right in the middle of Ibanez' hot streak.

Raul likes Reeboks for his Phillies cleats.

Center Field

The Phillies' own crazy Hawaiian Shane Victorino plays a major role in the Phillies reputation as fair but tough team on the diamond- a team that just refuses to lose.

For example, when SI's John Heyman asked a Dodger why they lost to the Phillies for the second time in as many years in the NLCS he replied, "We've got a bunch of nice guys in here,'' one Dodger said. "Those guys over there, they are tough. (Shane) Victorino is a tough SOB,"

And here's a picture to prove it:

Actually, we think Shane was just trying to give us a nice view of those Nikes of his....

Victorino did most of his minors with the Padres but was a rookie at the major league level with the Phillies in 2005, took over full time CF duties in 2006 and has provided a spark plug for the offense since. He's hit .293 the past two pennant seasons.

Since 2007 he has played in 26 post season games and has hit .299 with 6 homers and as many stolen bases. So far this post season he is only batting .361 with 3 homers in 9 games...

Right Field

Rounding out the position players, we find Jayson Werth and his Adidas patrolling right field for the Phillies.

Jayson has been starting in right since last years Championship run and hopes to help the Phillies repeat this season.

Werth has given up a little average for power of late, batting .268 this year, but also popping 36 dingers. He has been a member of the 20/20 club this year and last, notching up 20 thefts in both 2008 and '09, and hitting 24 HRs last year.

If you look past the dust, you may find some Adidas in here:

Jayson brings at least as much defence to the table. We look for him to come up big against the Yankees.

Starting Pitcher-1

Mid-season pick-up Cliff Lee may have pitched himself into the ace role since donning Phillies cleats at the trade deadline through a deal with Indians this year.

Phillies manager, Charlie Manuel has already tabbed Lee to start Game 1 in New Yankee Stadium, and in a cruel twist of fate for Indians fans, will be facing the pitcher Cleveland dealt at last year's deadline, CC Sabathia.

Hamels was the MVP of the Phillies post season last year, but has relatively struggled through most of 2009 and especially during this year's play-offs and NLCS.

Meanwhile Lee has been virtually untouchable in the post season, notching up a 0.74 ERA in 24.1 innings of work versus the Rockies and Dodgers.

In his last three appearances with the Indians versus the Yankees he is 2-1 with an ERA of 1.89. He has basically had their number.

And get this, and you heard it here first (we are about to point it out to Sports Illustrated)- Lee pitched the Indians to a 10-2 win over the Yankees, to ruin the New Yankee Stadiums' debut.... now he has a chance to ruin the new stadium's first World Series game.

Here's a picture of Lee and his Nike Phillie cleats.

Starting Pitcher - 2

Coach Manuel has only said he would start him, but not which game, but anyone who loves baseball hopes to see Pedro Martnez get a game in New Yankee Stadium.

After watching Pedro for 8 seasons with the Yankee arch-rival, Red Sox (including the 2003 season when the Red Sox finally broke the seven decade curse wrought on the organisation by the Babe Ruth trade) nothing would be better than to see him work his magic in the Yankees new digs.

Pedro is the man, after all, who wanted to " Wake the Bambino up so he can drill him in the ass".

But the personal rivalry between Pedro and the evil empire extends from his hat to his shoes.... witness what happened when 70+ year old, then Yankee manager, Don Zimmer claimed his Adidas were sweeter than Martinez' Nikes:

What else han't already been said about this future Hall of Famer? He has only one post-season appearance this season, holdng the Dodgers scoreless over 7 innings.

In the regular season he made 9 starts, going 5 - 1 with an 3.63 ERA. He should be fresh enough having only started the season in August.

We hope to see him involved in one of the funnest sub-plots of the season.

Here he is in his Phillies cleats:

Starting Pitcher-3

As mentioned above Cole Hamels struggled for most of the year. At least compared to last season, when he was the Series MVP and had regular season ERA of 3.09.

But what happened to Hamels this season isn't unnheard of in young pitchers the year after they make a jump in innings pitched that he did from from 2007 (183 IP) to 2008 (227 + 35 IP in the post-season).

This season he has a more sustainable 194 IPed- but he still got smacked around in three post season starts so far. He'll be lugging a 6.75 post-season ERA into the World Series.

Cole had a quality start in New Yankee Stadium in ter-league play this year, allowing two runs in six innings.

A lot of the Phillies chances hand on his being able to regroup for the bid stage.

Cole is the only Philly pitcher we are covering who doesn't wer Nike- here he is in his Adidas.

Closer

Talk about nail-biters. Brad Lidge has blown more saves (10)this year than any previous seasons in his career, yet the veteran is a perfect 3 for 3 in conversion opportunities this post season.

He has also not allowed a run in his 5 post season appearances.

The Phillies will hope the veteran will have the same stuff against the Yankees offensive powerhouse- and if anyone is set up to handle the Yankeee pressure cooker it is this guy.

Part of what makes Lidge's 2009 season look so rough was that he was a perfect 41 for 41 in save convesrions in 2008- still his 2009 ERA of 7.21, also a career worst is, how should we say, unappetizing. He is perhaps the biggest question mark on the team going into New Yankee Stadium.

But if we were the betting types we would wager that we will see him and his Phillies cleats doing this again at the end of the series this year:

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