Philadelphia

In early December of 1963, the Philadelphia Phillies made one of the great trades of all time. 

They sent outfielder Don Demeter, a Dodgers reject, along with pitcher Jack Hamilton, who is remembered for throwing the pitch that ruined Tony Conigliaro's career, to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for pitcher Jim Bunning and catcher Gus Triandos.

Two Masterpieces

It was just a couple of days after the Phillies' 2008 World Series win when it was announced that Ruben Amaro, Jr. would be the team's new general manager.

Pat Gillick left on top of the world, a ring on his finger and a wonderful story to ride off into the sunset with.

Amaro, now 45 years of age, had been the team's assistant GM since 1998 and had been a part of both the Gillick and Ed Wade eras.

Hired after Gillick's retirement, not many people knew what to expect from Amaro.

Last week's relatively quiet announcement that the New York Yankees had signed Chan Ho Park to a $1.2 million, one-year contract raised some eyebrows.

If Park was willing to sign for such a meager sum and accept a bullpen role, why didn't the Phillies lock him up?

Throughout the offseason, indications had been that the pitcher was seeking an opportunity to be a starter and bigger dollars than the Phillies were willing to offer.

Perhaps that was true early on, but obviously neither of those desires was fulfilled with the Bronx Bombers.

Part 1 of a 5 Part Series

The Philadelphia Phillies hold the distinction of the longest standing franchise in professional sports having been formed 127 years ago. As many Phillies fans will attest, the team has endured more than its fair share of lean seasons on its way to also setting the record for most losses with 10,167 and counting.

Of course, a great deal of that is ancient history as the team is currently considered one of the elite teams in baseball, if not professional sports.

You'll see him soon—showing up in his typical attire, the red and white suit, with his aged hat.

His socks sit about knee high, tucked under his insulated leggings to keep warm in the coldest days of the year. Waiting all year to deliver his special treat that he has given fans worldwide, near or far, for quite some time.

His name? Not Santa Claus, but Charlie Manuel.

However, it seems that each smile sender seems to have the same persona. Heck, everyone loves them, giving a not so far-fetched idea that Charlie Manuel is Santa Claus.

First, a recap of the supposed three-four team deal that is supposed to take place once all the i's are dotted and t's crossed:

The 2010 Baseball Hall of Fame election is coming up and there is a lot of buzz surrounding this one.

There are a few first year players on the ballot that will surely cause some commotion.

And of course there are players that have been on the ballot forever.

Last year, the Phillies had a battle for the fifth starter spot. It was mainly between Chan Ho Park, JA Happ, Kyle Kendrick, and Carlos Carrasco.

Well things have changed.

There is still a battle for the fifth spot in the rotation, but it has different contenders. Chan Ho Park is a free agent, Carrasco is with the Indians, and Happ is in the rotation.

So far the Phils rotation is Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, JA Happ, and Joe Blanton.

To see Part One, click here .

Jamie Moyer, 47, has been in baseball for almost 25 years. Before he was in drafted, he pitched for Souderton High School, which is very close to my house. He then went on to pitch for St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.