With Another Epic Performance, Cliff Lee Is Dr. October

NEW YORK -- Ever seen a crowd in this city so quiet, so wet, so stupefied? This was to have been the beginning of another pinstripe coronation, the first in a series of Win One For The Boss vignettes in the House That Ruthlessness Built. Instead, all the puffy hubris was silenced on a rainy, windy Wednesday night by Cliff Lee, who began the year in woeful Cleveland and may end it in a pitching pantheon.

It wouldn't be wise to dismiss the Phillies as unworthy of these Yankees and this World Series backdrop. With Lee outdueling his best pal in baseball, CC Sabathia, consider Game 1 a firm reminder that the Phillies are the defending champions and not the least bit intimidated by the mammoth city to the north, a Taj Mahal ballpark in the Bronx and the massive payroll and talent of the Yankees. We winced when Jimmy Rollins, the mouthy leadoff man, boosted Jay Leno's sickly ratings when he went on the show and forecast another Philadelphia championship. "Of course, we're going to win," he chirped. "If we're nice, we'll let it go six, but I'm thinking five -- close it out at home."

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As long as Lee is breathing, walking, working his gum, throwing wicked cheese and dazzling us with behind-the-back fielding magic -- followed by a facial shrug reminiscent of Michael Jordan after his flurry of three-pointers -- the chances of a repeat are plausible. Stunning as it is to recall he was shipped to the minors two years ago, lacking confidence and efficiency, Lee was a profile in October dominance against the sport's most potent lineup. He continued his amazing postseason run with a complete-game, 10-strikeout, six-hit masterpiece, winning 6-1 while supported by Chase Utley's two solo home runs off Sabathia and a put-away two-run single by Raul Ibanez.

"It's surreal. It's what you dream of as a kid, being on this stage," Lee said. "I'm here in the World Series, and I'm having success. And it feels great."

Success? That's understating matters. Whether it was his three strikeouts of Alex Rodriguez, one on a drop-dead 3-2 changeup, or shutting down Johnny Damon, Mark Teixiera and A-Rod to the tune of 1-for-12, Lee delivered one of the memorable postseason performances. The question becomes whether manager Charlie Manuel would dare start him in Game 4 on only three days' rest, which would allow him to pitch in a Game 7. Whatever the decision, Lee's monster postseason -- 3-0, an all-time low ERA of 0.54 -- changes the tenor of this competition. For all the star power on both sides, he is the centerpiece of this series, this month and this idea of the Phillies becoming the first National League team to repeat since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.

He was the model of cool, too, very much looking and feeling the part of the invincible man. The behind-the-back stab of a one-hopper was sheer athleticism. But his nonchalant basket catch of a popup? This was showboat material. "He pulled a Willie Mays," grumbled Manuel, who wasn't fond of it.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," said Lee, smiling. "Fifteen feet in the air, came right to me, a simple catch. Whatever. I caught it. He was out."

Can he be that cool? No nerves at all in the biggest start of his life? That's his story, and there's no reason to doubt him. "To be successful at this level, you've got to be confident," Lee said in his soft Arkansas drawl. "You've got to believe you're gonna get everyone out. I definitely think that. I try not to be over the edge and be cocky, but I have confidence. I've always been that way. It's the same game I've been playing my whole life. This is the stage I've wanted to be on, and now that I'm here, I've already put all the work in and done everything I could to prepare. So what's the point of being nervous? I've never been nervous in the big leagues, not once. Game time is the time to go out, have fun, execute and let your skills take over."

Yep, that simple, even against the scary likes of A-Rod, who was hitting .438 in the postseason with five homers and 12 RBI before Lee silenced him. "I don't know if there's any one way to get him out or this lineup out," Lee said. "You've got to be unpredictable, show them things they haven't seen before. Mix speeds and locations, don't get into patterns. That offense is so potent, and if they get a clue in terms of what you're doing, you're gonna get hurt."

And to think Lee wasn't the first choice of the Phillies when general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. sought big-time pitching help in July. The original target was Toronto's Roy Halladay, but the deal fell through when J.P. Ricciardi, the Blue Jays' since-deposed general manager, demanded too much in return. Amaro didn't have to relinquish nearly as much for Lee, and as good as Halladay is, there's little chance he would have performed in the postseason as well as Lee. Really, who else would?

"When we got him, we knew he was good. But to tell you the truth, I didn't know he was as good as he has been," Manuel said. "He had all his pitches going tonight -- fastball, cutter, curveball, changeup -- and he used them all up, effective on all of them. He went right through a tremendous lineup."

So, will he start three times? Manuel didn't say no. "We'll see how it goes. We'll see where we're at," he said. "We've got time."

Cliff? "That's a better question for Charlie. I'm ready to pitch whenever they'll let me," he said.

Over the last two postseasons, the Philies are 17-4, the best run in NL history. They win at home. They win on the road. They win in the rain and cold. They win in domes. "We're not intimidated by anything," said Utley, who overcame his hitting and throwing woes in the NL Championship Series with a bust-out Game 1. "We have a lot of confidence that we can play with the best of them."

"When we got [Lee], we knew he was good. But to tell you the truth, I didn't know he was as good as he has been."
-- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel It could be the Phillies remain the best of them all. Maybe we've been underestimating their chances against the Yankees, who were dealt a psychological blow when Sabathia took two killer shots from Utley in his much-anticipated duel with Lee. CC and Cliff have been friends since their Cleveland days -- imagine being a fan there with the dreadful Browns, lowly Indians, LeBron James eight months from his possible departure and, now, two Cy Young Award winners pitching elsewhere. After they faced each other here in April, they went to Sabathia's house and dined with Jordan, CC's friend. They've been texting each other all season and have been close for years, with Sabathia providing emotional support for Lee when the Indians demoted him to Buffalo.

More than anything, Lee's story is one of perseverance. A lot of pitchers have dominated in October, but few have ever done so with their career waning in the bush leagues just two years earlier. As much as Lee struts his stuff, he's also humble. "Sure, I want to pitch until the game's over. That's my competitive nature, me expecting to be successful," he said "Every game I pitch, I want to go nine innings and put up all zeroes. That's not reality, but that's what I expect from myself.

"I also know I still have work to do. I'm not about to start patting myself on the back and thinking I have it all figured out. It's not over 'til it's over. Whenever you think you've got it all figured out, that's when it's gonna blow up in your face. No way I'm saying, 'Wow, this has been an easy postseason.' I'll keep doing all my work, and if I do that, there's no reason I shouldn't be successful. I'll pat myself on the back when it's over, hopefully. Until then, I'll just keep grinding."

The Yankees are dazed. If they face Lee twice more, they know there's a chance they'll lose both games. Do the math. "You've got to tip your cap to him. He was outstanding," Derek Jeter said.

"He was great," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He kept us off balance, got us to chase some pitches, used his cutter and curveball very well. We know he's very good. But the one thing is, he can't pitch every day. As far as being frustrated, I'm confident our guys will grind it out."

But the Phillies definitely have taken fizz out of the pinstriped soda pop. "The fans were pretty rowdy early on in the game," Utley said. "Toward the end, I noticed some people leaving, and it was a little quieter in here." That's because a New York crowd recognizes an epic performer when it sees one.

"Getting the first one out of the way is big," Lee said. "At worst, we split in New York, and we go home with the home-field advantage. Now we have a chance to take both and go into Philly in a real good spot."

That's the only thing he got wrong all night. Seems they're already in a real good spot.