Postseason possibilities exciting for Halladay

With 30 media types in a semicircle around him, Roy Halladay smiled at the invitation to the trash-talk rivalry that is Mets-Phillies.

Asked (OK, I asked him) if he plans to engage in such fun, given Jimmy Rollins' proclamations and Johan Santana's announcement that the NL East's best pitcher is none other than himself, Halladay proved you don't need postseason experience to possess wisdom.

"I steer clear of that," he said. " . . . I think it was a Lou Holtz quote, 'Well done is always more important than well said.' I've always tried to take that philosophy, stay out of those things as much as possible."

Yet now, having smoothly worked his way from Toronto to Philadelphia via a trade, "those things" will be more a part of his career than ever before. He'll take that tradeoff. After 11 six-month seasons with the Blue Jays, he can't wait to experience that seventh month for himself.

It's one thing to torture the Yankees and Red Sox from behind, to intimidate but have no one at your side. Now? He's got plenty of help to torture the Mets from in front.

"Postseason," Halladay said, identifying what he anticipates the most as a Phillie. "I think, for me, that's the ultimate.

" . . . For me, it was never about changing teammates, changing environments, changing cities. It was about wanting to pitch in October,'' he said. "That's what I look forward to here the most. There are no guarantees, but based on what they've done in the past and the guys that are in that clubhouse, I look forward to having that chance."

The Phillies, in an offseason juggling act that still has industry folks scratching their heads in confusion, acquired Halladay and traded Cliff Lee to Seattle the same day. That they didn't keep Lee, thereby giving them a phenomenal front of the rotation, left Mets officials appreciative.

Nevertheless, the Phillies have to be favored for a third straight visit to the World Series. Second starter Cole Hamels looks terrific, Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ provide rotation depth and the stellar lineup returns everyone.

"We've been very successful here in the past, especially the last three or four years," manager Charlie Manuel said, "and I don't see any reason why we can't keep going."

In order to expedite his trade to the Phillies, Halladay agreed to sign an under-market three-year, $60-million extension (starting next year). Two days after returning from the news conference in Philly, he began working out here; he lives just a few minutes away.

His work ethic is legendary. He has been arriving at the ballpark at 5:45 each morning, Halladay said, and youngsters such as Hamels and Kyle Kendrick have tried to keep up with him.

Halladay's performance in baseball's toughest division won him the respect of everyone around the game. He wants to win more than just respect, though. It particularly stung, he said, when he watched last year's Fall Classic between the Phillies - the team he wanted to join last July but didn't because of unproductive trade discussions - and the Yankees, for whom former teammate A.J. Burnett excelled in Game 2.

Watching the postseason all of these years, Halladay said, "It's more wondering how I would do. 'How are you going to stack up? How are you going to handle this? How fun could it be?' "

But Halladay is pretty good at answering questions. For instance, by year's end, he'll probably be the answer to "best pitcher in the NL East."