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The Phillies came up short in the World Series this time around. However, players and phans alike should all still feel as though 2009 was a hugely succesful year. I got the hate out of the way with my previous post , so, looking back, here are my top '09 reasons that Phillies phans should be pleased with the season that ended 2 wins shy of a World Series repeat... '09- The Phillies won the National League pennant. That is still a big deal. 8- Brad Lidge and Cole Hamels will bounce back. (Right? Won't they...?!) 7- Ruben Amaro Jr. knows what he is doing. Raul Ibanez, Cliff Lee and still having Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek and Dom Brown intact in the Phillies' system are certainly enough proof. 6- Ryan Howard developed himself into a better player. Showing up in Clearwater, the Phillies' spring training facility, slimmer, to work on his defense and focus on being a better hitter, early this year was where it all started. Howard's defense was visably improved in 20...

Finally, the World Series has come back to New York City! The Phillies are in New York to defend their World Championship against a new challenger, the Yankees. Read on for pitching match ups and other key notes from this series. Wednesday, 7:57pm. Cliff Lee (7-4, 3.39 in the National League this regular season) vs. CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.37 ERA in regular season). Lee is 2-0 with a 0.74 ERA in 3 starts this post season. In 2 starts against the Yankees this year, Lee is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings pitched. Lee is 3-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 5 career starts in New York. Derek Jeter is 11-for-27 (.407 avg) with 3 doubles against Lee in his career. Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in 3 post season starts this year. Last year, in the division series, Sabathia lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up 5 earned runs to the Phillies while with the Brewers, including a grand slam to Shane Victorino. In Yankee Stadium this year, including the post season, Sabathia is 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA. Thursday, 7:...

On Friday, PhoulBallz introduced you all to soon to be local sensation NeeKo. He's an aspiring musical artist who remade Jay Z's smash single "Empire State of Mind". Jigga Man's New York City anthem, which features Alicia Keys, has reached top 10 status on the Billboard chart. Many music heads around Philadelphia wondered where their own theme song was, and NeeKo answered their call, teaming with vocalist Deana Marie to remake the track and create a song all Philly's own. I had chance to interview NeeKo over the weekend, and here is how that went down. What is your attachment to Philadelphia? Born and raised there, or what? I was born and raised in the northeast, had a quick stint in the 'burbs and now I'm back living in the northeast and loving it. Talk about the creative process with the song...how did you start? How long did it take to write, record, edit and find the right female vocalist? So, I was driving in my car, listening to the Jay Z track o...

Ladies and gentlemen, I happily introduce you to rapper NeeKo! He's on YouTube and it seems that this remake of Jay Z's Empire State of Mind is about to blow up. It's an instant classic for Philadelphia! NeeKo's lyrics in this track are dynamic...metaphors and punchlines that are chuckle inducing with assertions that spark pride. I thought this song was necessary last week when I heard post game locker room interviews with Phillies players, while the original Jay Z homage to NYC played in the back ground. Philadelphia, here is your anthem. With the Phillies continuing to make their run at a championship repeat, city and regional pride is growing, so pass this track on to anyone who will enjoy it. They call him NeeKo. This is for my people! Ill state of mind everywhere that we go! ------------------------- Follow PhoulBallz.com on Twitter HERE !