Phillieshome.com | Philadelphia Phillies News, phillies Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --LHP Scott Eyre had a chance to sign with the Phillies before the 2006 season, even going to lunch with pitching coach Rich Dubee. But he was leery of the tough reputation of Philadelphia and its notoriously demanding fans, so he signed a three-year, $11 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. "If I knew then what I know now, not that I didn't love Chicago, but I may have thought harder about coming here," he said recently. Eyre, 36, wound up in Philadelphia anyway, getting traded to the Phillies in August, and he enjoyed the city and its fans. On Nov. 10, he decided to stay for another year, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million contract to remain with the Phillies.</div>Eyre went 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA and allowed runs in only two of his 19 appearances after being acquired Aug. 7 for Class A pitcher Brian Schlitter. He solidified the bullpen, giving the Phillies a second lefty reliever after J.C. Romero, and he helped the team to its first World Series championship since 1980. "In just the two months I was with this team, I fell in love with the city," Eyre said. "The parade was unbelievable. I looked at Joe Blanton at one point and told him my face hurt because I was smiling for three hours." --RHP Brad Lidge just completed the best season of his life, arguably one of the best seasons a closer has ever had. And he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Actually, it wasn't really a surprise. Closers very rarely win the Cy Young Award. Since 1989, only one NL closer (Eric Gagne in 2003) has won, while in the AL, a closer hasn't picked up the hardware since Dennis Eckersley in 1992. So, even though Lidge went 41-for-41 in save opportunities during the regular season and was a major difference between the Phillies and the Mets in the NL East, the Cy Young went to Giants RHP Tim Lincecum, who led the majors with 265 strikeouts and posted a 2.62 ERA. Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Webb, a 22-game winner, finished second in the balloting conducted by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, followed by Mets LHP Johan Santana. --Manager Charlie Manuel was runner-up in the NL Manager of the Year voting for a second consecutive year. This time, he finished behind Lou Piniella, who led the Chicago Cubs to 97 wins and the NL Central championship. The balloting was conducted before the postseason, when the Cubs were favored to win the NL pennant and before they flamed out in the first round and the Phillies won the World Series. Piniella received 15 first-place votes, eight second-place votes and four third-place votes for 103 total points. Manuel received eight first-place votes, six second-place votes and nine third-place votes for 67 total points. Manuel, 64, led the Phillies to a 92-70 record and their second consecutive NL East crown before steering them to the second World Series championship in their 126-year history. "Winning the World Series, my players playing as good as they did and our team coming along like it did, that definitely is above Manager of the Year," said Manuel, who likely will have his 2010 club option picked up by the Phillies. "That definitely blows that out of the water." --SS Jason Donald has been tearing up the Arizona Fall League, but prevailing opinion among many opposing scouts remains that Donald is best-suited as a utility infielder in the majors. He has been playing third base in Arizona, a position that could present a more rapid ascendance to the majors with the Phillies, who have Jimmy Rollins entrenched at shortstop. 3B Pedro Feliz will be a free agent after the 2009 season. "(Donald) is a decent hitter with decent power, but not enough power to say this guy is a starting third baseman," an NL scout told the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal. "I think he goes to Triple-A, comes up for part of next year, and they see where they are with (Pedro) Feliz. I think he'll hit. Do I think he'll hit .280 or .300? No. But I think he could hit .260 with 10 or 12 homers. He's a nice player, but he's kind of caught in between." --LHP Jamie Moyer may be closing in on a deal to re-sign with the Phillies. Moyer, who turns 46 on Nov. 18, is reportedly seeking a multiyear contract, and the Phillies were hopeful of negotiating a contract with him. Moyer led the Phillies with 16 wins in the regular season, becoming the oldest pitcher to win 16 games since Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro won 16 at age 46 in 1985. --LF Pat Burrell is the Phillies' highest-profile free agent and may be the likeliest to depart. The Phillies have begun preliminary negotiations with Burrell's agents, Philadelphia-based Ed Hayes and California-based Greg Genske. But Burrell likely will receive more lucrative offers once he hits the open market, particularly from AL teams that are looking for a designated hitter. Burrell has averaged 31 home runs and 98 RBIs over the past four seasons, but he has been slowed by foot injuries that have sapped most of his speed. The Phillies routinely lifted Burrell for a defensive replacement in the late innings over the past two seasons. BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- The Phillies' streak of NL MVP winners, which ended when Albert Pujols won this year. 1B Ryan Howard, who won in 2006, was the runner-up this year. He hit .251, and he led the league with 48 homers and 146 RBIs. Jimmy Rollins was the 2007 MVP. QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're going to have to replace the guys that aren't coming back, and we're going to have to replace them with guys with equal talent or better. At the end of the year you had to like our team, but we can still tinker a little bit with it." -- Manager Charlie Manuel, on the Phillies' impending changes.

--LHP Scott Eyre had a chance to sign with the Phillies before the 2006 season, even going to lunch with pitching coach Rich Dubee. But he was leery of the tough reputation of Philadelphia and its notoriously demanding fans, so he signed a three-year, $11 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. "If I knew then what I know now, not that I didn't love Chicago, but I may have thought harder about coming here," he said recently. Eyre, 36, wound up in Philadelphia anyway, getting traded to the Phillies in August, and he enjoyed the city and its fans. On Nov. 10, he decided to stay for another year, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million contract to remain with the Phillies.

Eyre went 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA and allowed runs in only two of his 19 appearances after being acquired Aug. 7 for Class A pitcher Brian Schlitter. He solidified the bullpen, giving the Phillies a second lefty reliever after J.C. Romero, and he helped the team to its first World Series championship since 1980.

"In just the two months I was with this team, I fell in love with the city," Eyre said. "The parade was unbelievable. I looked at Joe Blanton at one point and told him my face hurt because I was smiling for three hours."

--RHP Brad Lidge just completed the best season of his life, arguably one of the best seasons a closer has ever had. And he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Actually, it wasn't really a surprise. Closers very rarely win the Cy Young Award. Since 1989, only one NL closer (Eric Gagne in 2003) has won, while in the AL, a closer hasn't picked up the hardware since Dennis Eckersley in 1992. So, even though Lidge went 41-for-41 in save opportunities during the regular season and was a major difference between the Phillies and the Mets in the NL East, the Cy Young went to Giants RHP Tim Lincecum, who led the majors with 265 strikeouts and posted a 2.62 ERA. Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Webb, a 22-game winner, finished second in the balloting conducted by members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, followed by Mets LHP Johan Santana.

--Manager Charlie Manuel was runner-up in the NL Manager of the Year voting for a second consecutive year. This time, he finished behind Lou Piniella, who led the Chicago Cubs to 97 wins and the NL Central championship. The balloting was conducted before the postseason, when the Cubs were favored to win the NL pennant and before they flamed out in the first round and the Phillies won the World Series.

Piniella received 15 first-place votes, eight second-place votes and four third-place votes for 103 total points. Manuel received eight first-place votes, six second-place votes and nine third-place votes for 67 total points.

Manuel, 64, led the Phillies to a 92-70 record and their second consecutive NL East crown before steering them to the second World Series championship in their 126-year history.

"Winning the World Series, my players playing as good as they did and our team coming along like it did, that definitely is above Manager of the Year," said Manuel, who likely will have his 2010 club option picked up by the Phillies. "That definitely blows that out of the water."

--SS Jason Donald has been tearing up the Arizona Fall League, but prevailing opinion among many opposing scouts remains that Donald is best-suited as a utility infielder in the majors. He has been playing third base in Arizona, a position that could present a more rapid ascendance to the majors with the Phillies, who have Jimmy Rollins entrenched at shortstop. 3B Pedro Feliz will be a free agent after the 2009 season.

"(Donald) is a decent hitter with decent power, but not enough power to say this guy is a starting third baseman," an NL scout told the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal. "I think he goes to Triple-A, comes up for part of next year, and they see where they are with (Pedro) Feliz. I think he'll hit. Do I think he'll hit .280 or .300? No. But I think he could hit .260 with 10 or 12 homers. He's a nice player, but he's kind of caught in between."

--LHP Jamie Moyer may be closing in on a deal to re-sign with the Phillies. Moyer, who turns 46 on Nov. 18, is reportedly seeking a multiyear contract, and the Phillies were hopeful of negotiating a contract with him. Moyer led the Phillies with 16 wins in the regular season, becoming the oldest pitcher to win 16 games since Hall of Fame knuckleballer Phil Niekro won 16 at age 46 in 1985.

--LF Pat Burrell is the Phillies' highest-profile free agent and may be the likeliest to depart. The Phillies have begun preliminary negotiations with Burrell's agents, Philadelphia-based Ed Hayes and California-based Greg Genske. But Burrell likely will receive more lucrative offers once he hits the open market, particularly from AL teams that are looking for a designated hitter. Burrell has averaged 31 home runs and 98 RBIs over the past four seasons, but he has been slowed by foot injuries that have sapped most of his speed. The Phillies routinely lifted Burrell for a defensive replacement in the late innings over the past two seasons.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2 -- The Phillies' streak of NL MVP winners, which ended when Albert Pujols won this year. 1B Ryan Howard, who won in 2006, was the runner-up this year. He hit .251, and he led the league with 48 homers and 146 RBIs. Jimmy Rollins was the 2007 MVP.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're going to have to replace the guys that aren't coming back, and we're going to have to replace them with guys with equal talent or better. At the end of the year you had to like our team, but we can still tinker a little bit with it." -- Manager Charlie Manuel, on the Phillies' impending changes.