One of the classic mantras for any defending champion is to forget about last year because it doesn't mean anything anymore. But Jimmy Rollins sees things a little differently.
"Maybe if we go through a rough spell, I'll put it on and remind people what it's about and that we've been there before," Rollins said of the championship ring that he and the rest of his champion Phillies teammates received on Wednesday.
Since the Yankees won their third straight World Series in 2000, it hasn't mattered what kind of motivation a defending champion has used - each has gone from baubles to bobbles, with seven teams winning the last eight World Series.
This is hardly unprecedented in baseball, where repeat champions are few and far between. The current eight-year gap since the Bronx Bombers' back-to-back-to-back is small potatoes compared to the 14 years between the 1977-78 Yankees and 1992-93 Blue Jays, the 10 years between the 1961-62 Yankees and 1972-74 A's, or the decade between the 1936-39 Yankees and 1949-53 Yankees.
Historically, it is harder to repeat in baseball than in any of the other major sports - since the World Series took root in 1903, only 21 teams have won one year and come back to win the next (a figure that credits three-peaters with two repeats). Compare that to 25 repeat Stanley Cup champions since 1918, 20 repeat NFL champions since 1923 and 20 follow-up NBA titlists since 1949.
And it's not getting any easier to wear the crown - given the supposed parity of the NFL, it might be surprising to learn that there have been four repeat Super Bowl winners in the last 20 years (1989 49ers, 1993 Cowboys, 1998 Broncos, 2004 Patriots), compared to just three teams bringing home consecutive World Series (1993 Blue Jays, 1999 & 2000 Yankees).
Such history is not going to faze the Phillies, not after back-to-back Septembers in which they came from behind to beat the Mets and win the NL East - last year surging all the way to the city of Philadelphia's first major sports championship in a quarter-century.
"I think the big picture is things like that are made to be broken," said Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino. "I mean, hey, we're not gonna go out there and do anything differently. We're going to play the same game that we played last year, and try to find a way to get things done."
Playing the same game as the year before is no easy task. Beyond the challenge of getting everyone on a team's roster to optimize his performance for a second straight season, free agency has made it difficult for teams in all sports to keep a championship core together, not to mention the salary caps in other sports. But the Phillies don't see that as an obstacle in their way, with their only significant change being in left field, where Pat Burrell left and Raul Ibanez signed.
"It's a pretty strong makeup with the tightness of our teammates," said reliever Clay Condrey. "There's not a lot of change, but the changes they did make, I think it solidifies - we didn't lose anything. If we did anything, we gained."
The addition of Ibanez is a big reason that the Phillies are confident. One of the leaders of the Mariners the last few years, the lefty-swinging outfielder won't let his new teammates rest on their laurels.
"My perspective is that I'm here to help the club win anyway I can, and that's really all I can focus on to function at the level that I want to function," Ibanez said. "So my focus is - obviously there's the goal of winning the World Series - but my focus is the daily focus. You're already motivated, but it definitely motivates you more to know that these guys were part of something special - a moment in history that can never be taken from them. It's definitely something I would love to be part of."
Also eager to be part of something special is reliever Jack Taschner, acquired from the Giants late in spring training. As with anyone walking into the Phillies' clubhouse, the southpaw has quickly picked up on the relaxed attitude that has allowed them to thrive when the going gets tough.
"I don't think there's any pressure at all - at least, I haven't gotten that from this team at all," Taschner said. "Obviously, we've only had (a few) games, but everybody shows up to do their business, and it's lighthearted. You have 162 games, and a couple of losses aren't going to make you or break you."
That's something the Phillies know well, both with what they've done the last two Septembers and having broken the team's 28-year championship drought. So what's a few years between repeat World Series winners?
"Stats don't mean shirt to me!" Victorino said. "It's a stat. You've still got to go out there and do what you do. I mean, if that's the case, we might as well not play this season, because it hasn't happened since 2000. So I never pay attention to that stuff."
The Phillies began the 2009 season the same way they launched their 2006, 2007 and 2008 campaigns: with a loss at home. And while the experience of the last two years showed that going 0-1 isn't necessary indicative of trouble ahead, many of the concerns that followed the club through a mostly placid spring showed up after the 2008 championship banner was raised and the home crowd took the field to a rapturous welcome.
PHILADELPHIA - First pitch for the season opener between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies is scheduled for 8:09 p.m.
