Star-studded Phils hope for smooth ride to World Series

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- They rolled 'em out Monday, right off the Phillies' assembly line, a candy apple red Corvette of a rotation replete with muscle, horsepower and all the options.
Best rotation in the last 20 years? 50 years?

Cliff Lee: 'It's February right now, so we've got a lot of work to do ...' (Getty Images)

Maybe more importantly, best rotation in the game this year, strong enough to provide the transmission for what so many in Philadelphia expect will be a smooth ride to the World Series?
"I know there's a lot of hype," said Cliff Lee, the new/old Phillie, at a post-workout press conference featuring Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and even No. 5 starter Joe Blanton. "Everyone expects this and expects that, but that's in October."
"It's February right now, so we've got a lot of work to do between now and then to give ourselves the best chance to do that."
Not that the hype is overwhelming, but the hype drifts on a gorgeous, 64-degree day were deeper than Philadelphia snow drifts. As the Phillies opened their 65th spring in Clearwater, people are calling this the most anticipated season in club history.
Monday's press conference was broadcast live in Philadelphia. The first part was broadcast live on MLB Network. Phillies media relations director Greg Casterioto, who has been with the club since 2001, said he fielded the most spring credential requests he's ever taken.
Longtime broadcaster Chris Wheeler was saying that this is the most buzz since Pete Rose came to the Phillies in 1979.
Two things were clear on Monday:
1. As Lee noted, October's pretty far off, and baseball has been known to put what looks rosy on paper in the spring right through the shredder in the summer.
What was the architect thinking while watching the press conference?
"How nice it would be for each of them to be healthy for 162 games," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said, chuckling. "There was a lot of finger crossing and a lot of toe crossing."
2. If the finger crossing and toe crossing works, there is every reason to believe the only thing keeping a whole bunch of Phillies' opponents from their last meals this summer will be a governor's pardon.
Consider: Halladay, Oswalt and Lee all have career winning percentages of .620 or better. Which, as the Elias Sports Bureau tells us, makes these Phils the first NL club to start a season with three pitchers owning winning percentages that high after at least 100 career decisions since the 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers. Halladay, Oswalt and Lee, meet Don Newcombe, Sal Maglie and Carl Erskine.
Others are talking about the early 1970s Orioles with Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar and Pat Dobson, and the early 1990s Braves with Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Steve Avery. Meanwhile, in modern times, the San Francisco fivesome of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner and Barry Zito forged quite an accomplishment leading to the end of last October, if memory serves.
"I think we haven't thrown a single pitch as a group yet," Lee said. "So it's kind of early to say we're one of the best rotations in the history of the game.
"Obviously, we're a very talented group, and there is potential for all that."
One very interesting aspect of Monday -- and prepare to duck, Yankees fans -- came when Lee discussed his reasons for signing with the Phillies instead of the Yankees or Rangers.
"I felt like this was the best chance to win world championships," Lee said.
In case there was any gray area, Lee added later: "This is where I'm at right now. That says enough. ... I could have gotten more money in other places. That really wasn't what it was all about for me.
"It was really about what team gave me the best chance to win world championships over the life of the contract. I think this is it."
A still-strong nucleus featuring Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and a talented cast of others certainly plays into that. So does a work ethic that had Halladay in the same place he was a year ago: In the Phillies' weight room at 5 a.m. Monday, already sweating hard.
"Watching Roy last year, I actually think game day was his easiest day of the week," pitching coach Rich Dubee said, which tells you everything you need to know about Halladay.
Everything you need to know about the Phillies?
"We're going to have a target on our back," manager Charlie Manuel said. "Teams are going to want to play us and beat us. We're going to have to earn everything we get.
"What really counts is the expectations the players have on themselves. We have a chance to have a special season. We have a chance to have a lot of fun."
extracted from cbssports.com